Lost Treasure
by Blair.Bear.Tate.Monster
Summary: When Jim came home for a visit, he had no idea that his world would be changed forever. Now, he will be reunited with old friends as he attempts to help a young woman recover her past, and just might find the ultimate treasure. Rating subject to change
1. A Tale For Two Little Treasures

"C'mere you little spacers! It's time for bed!"

The young and slightly ragged looking mother stood in the door way of her children's bedroom. Her light brown hair was drawn back into a sloppy braid that flowed down her back, stopping parallel with her tail bone. She wore a cream colored shirt with a green vest and a lighter green skirt. Her husband always insisted on green for her; "It brings out your eyes, Viv," he would say.

Vivian smiled as she watched her son and daughter – both three years of age- jumping up and down on their beds. "Mama, tell us a story!" The little girl was the one that spoke.

The young mother sighed a little. "Alright, one story Chloe," she said, putting her hands on her hips in her mock 'I mean business' stance. "But you two need to stop jumping on your beds first."

Chloe, ever the obedient child, promptly ceased her jumping and scurried to get under her blankets. The three year old was the perfect mix of her mother and father. Chloe had her mother's large green eyes and pale skin, but had inherited her father's strong facial features and dark brown hair.

The young boy was reluctant to stop jumping and tossed a balled up sock at his sister. "Chloe, you're a turd!"

Vivian cast a look at her son. "James Pleiades Hawkins!"

The young boy, his father's spitting image jumped at his full name and quickly got under the covers. "Well she is," he muttered.

Vivian walked over to her son's bed and gazed down at him. "Apologize to your sister," she said, crossing her arms lightly across her chest.

"Did I hear my name?" Vivian turned toward the door to see her husband, still as breath-takingly handsome as he had been the first day she saw him five short years ago.

Jim Hawkins walked into his twins' room still in his work clothes. Black uniform pants and a light brown work shirt, unbuttoned and hanging open now that he was home. His black uniform jacket was more than likely hanging from the rack down stairs with his boots sitting under it.

Vivian smiled at her husband who came up to her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "No, I was just fussing at _your_ son," she said, poking Jim firmly in the bare chest with her index finger. "He called his sister a turd."

Jim looked firmly at his son who cast his gaze down at the blankets in shame. "Jimbo, you know better than to call your sister names. Tell her you're sorry." Vivian couldn't help but smile; she loved watching Jim interact with their children. For some reason it gave her the strong urge to want to try and have more.

Young Jim gazed at his father and then, when he realized there was no way out of it, he looked across the room at his sister. "I'm sorry Chloe."

The young girl nodded to her twin brother. "Apology accepted Jim."

Vivian moved to stand between the two beds, looking between her two children. "Alright, now, which story do you all want to hear?"

Little Jim bounced up and down as he sat beneath his blankets. "Ooh! Ooh! Treasure Planet! Have Papa tell us the one about when he went to Treasure Planet!"

Chloe threw her hand up into the air like a student would in school. "Papa told us that one last night," she said, beginning to pout.

Vivian cleared her throat loudly as the twins began arguing across the room. "Jimmy, Chloe, begging and whining isn't charming." She cast a gaze at her husband who had taken a seat at the foot of their son's bed. "What do you think Jim? Which story should we tell?"

Jim rubbed his chin as he thought before giving his wife a flirtatious grin. "How about the story of how we met; that one's a good one."

Vivian smiled back at him as she nodded. "Alright; that's my favorite."

The couple gazed at each other lovingly, almost forgetting about their children. Chloe scurried out of bed and over to her mother. Vivian took a seat in the rocking chair that sat in front of the window and her daughter crawled up into her lap. The young mother waved her son over. "C'mon Jimmy, get over here."

The boy smiled widely as he scurried to join his sister in their mother's lap. Vivian began rocking them gently as her husband spoke from their son's bed. "Okay, you two ready?" The twins nodded eagerly and their father began speaking. "Alright, now, you two haven't heard this story before, but it's the greatest one I know." Jim smiled to his wife. "Five years ago, I had come back here to the Benbow Inn to help your Gram with some things."

The twins watched in awe as their father spoke, using his hands almost as much as his words. "I was twenty, and I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Sure I had done well in school, joined the military, but I still felt like something was missing. For a long time I thought it was my dad, but…I just wasn't sure. So I took leave from my work and come home to figure some things out."

Chloe's hand shot into the air again, getting her father's attention. Vivian laughed as her husband called on the child. "Yes Chloe?"

"Papa, what kind of story is this exactly?" The little girl's green eyes gazed at her father in an adoring way. Jim's children absolutely love him.

"Yeah," Jimmy said a scowl similar to the one that his father used to wear etching its way onto his young face. "It doesn't sound very adventure-y to me. And is there treasure in it?"

Jim rubbed his chin in thought again; Vivian suddenly noticed the stubble on his face. She felt a twinge deep down in her stomach. Jim was quite attractive when he was scruffy, and he knew that his wife liked him that way. She gave him a look, which he grinned at before finally addressing his young son. "Oh, there's adventure alright; Adventure, pirates, and treasure."

The two children 'ooh'ed at their father's mention of treasure. Being three years old, the mention of small shiny items sparked their interests. They both glanced at each other before looking back to their father. "Go on," Vivian prodded her husband, happy to see her children entertained, and curious to see how he told their story of their meeting.

Jim took a deep and dramatic breath before beginning the tale.

**Hello out there in internet land! This is my first Treasure Planet fic and I'm very excited about it!**

**I told the readers of my other works that I was going on a bit of a hiatus to work on this and a couple of other fics, but when I got up this morning, I decided to just write when I wanted and post when I wanted. I expect that it'll take me a while to complete any tales I start, but I assure you all that it will happen eventually!**

**Here's hoping you enjoy this as well as my other works!**

**XXOO**

**BBTM**

**PS: R&R Please!**


	2. An Attractive Complication

_I came back home to try and figure some things out, but before I could…well, things got sort of complicated._

Jim Hawkins had only been home a few short hours, much to the joy of his mother, when the storm hit. It was a big one, with rain drops larger than Morph falling from the sky. The pink creature had taken to floating over Jim's shoulder as the young man wandered around the Benbow Inn, getting reacquainted with his home.

His mother had told him to put his small bag of things in his old room; granted, it wasn't his child hood room. That had been lost in the fire, but Jim did get his own room just after the inn was rebuilt almost a year later.

Now, four years after the inn's reopening, Jim was home again. He had taken time away from his work in the military (he traveled quite a bit and worked as a mechanic of sorts) because he had some things he needed to figure out. His commanding officer had understood. "You're a brilliant lad James," he had said. "It'll be a shame not having you, but you do what you need. You'll have a place waiting for you."

So, at the age of twenty, Jim came back home. The rain poured down outside as lightning flashed and thunder boomed. He had placed his bag in his room and had shed his uniform. Morph hovered over the bed, chitterling and chirping happily. The little creature was happy that his friend had returned.

Jim changed into an outfit he had frequented when he was younger – light brown shirt, black pants and black boots. He had filled out quite a bit, become a very attractive young man. He scratched his left earlobe. He still had the piercing but didn't wear what had been his signature ring anymore because of his military work. He was toying with the idea of putting it back in for old time's sake when he saw it.

A small air craft, only big enough for one person came crashing out of the sky. It was flaming at the end, as if lightning had reached out and touched it. Jim watched it as it crashed about a mile up the road into a small lake.

Jim tore out of his room, down the hall, down the stairs. His mother called after him as he ran into the storm. "Jim, what are you doing?"

Jim paused long enough to look to his mother. "Someone's crashed into the lake; I'm going to go make sure everything's ok!"

Jim resumed running, followed closely by his mother. They reached the lake in a few minutes; the remains of the air craft (which looked remarkably like a solar surfer and a dingy had a baby) were just sinking. Lightning flashed and lighted up the world; Sarah gasped and grabbed her son's arm, shaking him. "Jim, there's someone in the water!"

Jim dove in; later on, he realized it might have been pretty reckless, jumping into a lake with lightning dancing in the sky, but it needed to be done. Sure enough, not far from the lake's edge, a young woman was floating down to the bottom of the lake. Jim grabbed her, pulling her into his arms and then kicked his way to the surface.

The storm was still raging when Jim broke the surface, his mother alternating between calling to him and to a few of the guests from the inn that had followed. Jim kicked his way to the edge of the lake where his mother and a large amphibious couple pulled him and the unconscious woman from the lake. "Jim, don't ever do that again!" Sarah's face was pale as the rain beat down on them.

Jim laughed a little before turning toward the amphibious man; he had laid the young woman out, checking her over. "She's breathing, but we should get her inside," he said. The frog man took off his jacket as Jim lifted her up into his arms again. They wrapped the wet jacket around her, figuring it was better than nothing.

She was cold in Jim's arms, and that frightened him. She had a cut on her forehead and blood ran down her face. She was an attractive thing, with pale skin and light brown hair (though it looked rather dark because of the water.)

They carried her back to the inn, attracting the attention to many of the guests who were gathered in the dining room. Jim pushed his way through the congregation that had crowed the door and headed up the stairs.

He placed the young woman on the bed in the first empty guest room he could find – it just happened to be beside his. The frog man, who claimed to be a doctor, took over, looking the girl over for other injuries.

Jim went to his room to change; Morph was still hovering over his bed. Jim fished through his bag, pulled out a second pair of black pants. He pulled them on, grateful for the dry cloth, and abandoned his wet clothes on the floor. Then he flopped back on the bed, suddenly exhausted; he wanted to check on the young woman, but he knew the frog doctor wouldn't have finished checking her yet.

Morph chattered as he settled down on the pillow beside Jim's head. "Well, this is turning out to be an exciting trip home," he muttered, mostly to himself as he heard people and creatures (frogs didn't count as people, technically) move about the next room. He fell asleep as rain pounded the Benbow Inn.

Jim slept until late the next morning; it kind of blew his mind that he could sleep so much. Morph greeted him with happy chattering, changing into an alarm clock and ringing loudly beside Jim's ear. "Morph," he groaned, swatting at the little creature. Morph reverted back to his original self before licking Jim's cheeks. "Okay, okay, I'm up," the young man said, rolling out of bed.

He dug through his bag to find a black shirt – he looked like he was about to go to a funeral - tugged it on and then ran his hands though his hair. He didn't particularly like looking scruffy and 'fresh from the bed' but he also figured that he didn't have to put on his military best dress at home. He pulled on his boots, which had thankfully dried, before leaving the room and walking down the hall.

He glanced at the door to the young woman's room. He wondered if she was still there, if she had been alright enough to go home or if…he shook his head to clear his thoughts as he walked down the stairs.

The Benbow was crowded and guests were chattering loudly as Sarah Hawkins ran about, trying to get everyone served. When she caught sight of her son, Sarah waved him toward the kitchen before quickly disappearing through the swinging door. Jim followed her into the kitchen.

It was larger than the one they had had in the original Benbow, but that didn't make it any less of a mad house. B.E.N. was running around, trying to fill orders quickly and efficiently. "Mornin' Jimmy!" The robot gave a sort of salute mixed with a wave as Jim walked through the swinging door. His mother was at the counter, filling a tray with oatmeal, toast and a glass of juice.

"Jim, I need you to take this to Chloe," Sarah said, quickly handing the tray to Jim.

"Who?"

Sarah shook her head, obviously forgetting to inform her son of the events of the previous night. "The girl you saved; she doesn't remember anything besides the name Chloe, so that what we're calling her."

Jim gave his mother a slightly confused look. "She doesn't remember anything about the crash?"

Sarah shook her head again before moving toward her son and beginning to attempt to fix his hair. "No, she remembers the crash, but she doesn't seem to remember anything from before that. She doesn't know who she is, where she's from; she doesn't even know if she has a family or not. Jim, you should try to look nice."

Jim shook away from his mother. "C'mon Mom, I look fine; so she doesn't know anything? She must be scared."

Sarah sighed as she prepared a different tray, taking orders out to customers. "She's hiding it very well if she it. She keeps asking for you."

As his mother walked out of the kitchen, Jim realized exactly what she had said. "Wait, what? She's asking for me?"

Sarah nodded and called over her shoulder as she disappeared. "She's asking for her rescuer – that would be you."

Jim stuttered a little as he set the tray back on the counter. When he realized that words wouldn't come, he sighed heavily, running his hand over his eyes in mild exasperation. B.E.N., never very tactful spoke loudly as he cooked. "You know Jimmy, if I didn't know any better, I would think your mom was trying to set you up with that pretty little-"Jim shot the robot a glare. "Shutting up."

Jim picked up the tray of food again and headed back up the stairs. He made his way to the girl's – Chloe's – room and paused outside the door. He heard a soft cough, like she was trying to get her throat cleared. Jim gave a soft knock and waited for a response. There was a soft "Come in," and Jim opened the door.

Chloe was sitting up in the bed that Jim had laid her in the night before. Her hair was dried and hanging over her left shoulder, a cascade of burnt sugar. She smiled a little when Jim took an uncertain step into the room. "Um," he started, glancing back over his shoulder, suddenly wishing his mother was with him. "Here's some breakfast if you're uh…hungry."

He brought the tray over toward the bed side table, trying his best to Chloe over without being caught staring. She was an attractive young woman, not too thick not too thin, curvy in all the right places (that Jim could see considering she was sitting up in a bed). Her skin was pale, but in a natural way; she would look strange if she had a dark complexion. She had large green eyes and delicate facial features; a small, straight nose and high cheek bones.

She flushed red when she noticed Jim looking her over, and she cast her gaze to her hands on the blankets. Jim set the tray down and cleared his throat. "So uh…I'll be back later to get the tray."

"You were to one that um," Chloe's voice was soft as she spoke. She turned her gaze back toward Jim's face and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you for saving me."

Jim nodded. "D-don't mention it," he said before quickly leaving the room. He was suddenly very self conscious, and felt that his responses to her were idiotic. Jim walked to his room, kicking the door closed behind him. He shook his head as he walked to sit on the edge of his bed. "So much for sorting things out," he grumbled as Morph floated into his face. "I get the feeling that things are just going to be complicated from her on in."

Morph chattered before changing into a tiny Jim and chanting the word 'complicated' over and over again.

**Whoo! This was a long one! I hope you all like it! **

**R&R!**

**BBTM**


	3. The Helpful Maiden

_I'd like to think that Chloe and I hit it off right away. _

Jim figured it out the hard way that he wasn't much for sitting around the house and doing nothing. Not long after he went to his room, he decided that he should go down stairs and help B.E.N. and his mother. He stopped by Chloe's room to pick up her breakfast tray, but found it and the room empty.

He took the tray, not sure why he cared about not seeing Chloe, back to the kitchen. The morning rush was over and Sarah was sipping luke-warm coffee while B.E.N. washed dishes. B.E.N was chatting in his usual rambling hyperactive tone when Jim came in, dumping the dishes from the tray into the sink.

"There he is!" Sarah was glad to see her son up and about; she took another sip of her coffee. "I was starting to think that you had gone back to sleep."

Jim laughed a little. "'Fraid not," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter beside his mom. "So, uh…where'd Chloe disappear to?"

Sarah finished off her coffee before speaking. "I got in touch with Amelia and Delbert and asked them to take her into town to get checked out by the doctor there and to pick up some clothes for her."

"Oh," Jim said, rather intelligently. "So…what can I do around the house today?"

Jim started to grab a towel to dry dishes, but his mother smacked his hand away. "No house work; go outside. Do something manly," she said, taking the towel from him and drying the clean dishes B.E.N. had stacked up.

Jim laughed with mild disbelief at his mother. "Manly?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes, manly," Sarah said, smirking as she dried dishes. "Go…fix something…"

Jim shook his head; what was there to fix? His search led him outside, and eventually down the steep hill behind the Benbow. It was there that the remains of Jim's solar surfer rested. The piece of machinery had fallen into disrepair, mostly due to Jim's lack of time to tend to it. After returning from his voyage to Treasure Planet, Jim had helped his mother repair the inn before spending three years at the Interstellar Academy.

After graduation, Jim went right on to work on military ships; he traveled, saw wonders that many of the residents of Montressor wouldn't believe, and yet…there was just something missing.

Jim found his old box of tool and pulled out a wrench, holing it gently in his hands. It had been so long since he had worked with his hands for fun. He looked over his solar surfer, assessing what needed to be done before settling on his plan of attack. He found a couple of empty old crates and placed the surfer on top of it; he slid under and began to work.

It was harder work, not that he was older; his large hands had a hard time getting into the tight crevices of the machine. He laughed at himself a little, realizing that this little venture into his youth was probably going to just aggravate him, but he couldn't bring himself to abandon the project.

As his hands attempted to restore his once most prized possession to its original glory (or at least make it ride able), Jim's mind began working, despite his efforts to keep it clear.

Every since he had graduated, he had felt as if something was missing. His first thought had been his father, someone who hadn't been in Jim's life for near ten years. But the more Jim had thought about it, he realized that that wasn't it, though a part of him still felt nagged about the absence of his father.

Then his thoughts would travel to Silver, the man who had been more like his father than anyone else. He often wondered how the old scalawag was; somewhere out in space, living as a wanted man. Jim missed his time on the RLS Legacy, serving as Silver's cabin boy. He had learned a lot thanks to Silver, and Jim often wished the old cyborg had been able to see the man that Jim had become.

As Jim worked and thought, back up at the Benbow Inn, the Dopplers had returned; Chloe was walking just a head of them as they all entered the kitchen, holding the hands of two of the Doppler daughters.

All four children had just finished the terrible twos, much to the joy to their parents. Amelia was holding the hand of their only son, Albert, while Delbert was carrying their brunette daughter, Bertha. Chloe was being dragged by the blonde and red headed girls, Clara and Phoebe.

Sarah had just finished putting away the dry dishes. "Welcome back," she said happily as Chloe came into the kitchen. Chloe had a bit of limp, more than likely an injury from her crash the day before.

Chloe smiled as she sat down at the small 'family' table just inside the door. Clara and Phoebe stood in front of her as she addressed Sarah in a soft voice. "Thank you Mrs. Hawkins."

Delbert set Bertha on the floor and the child quickly joined her sisters s they stood in front of the beautiful new stranger. Chloe was in borrowed clothes from Sarah, a brown skirt, a white long sleeved shirt and a light brown vest. Her hair was in a loose braid over her left shoulder. She looked slightly flushed from having walked into town and after having wrangled toddlers on the way back. "Doctor Golds said that everything appeared fine; no broken bones, just a few cuts and burses."

Amelia moved to stand beside her husband as Sarah walked over to Chloe, looking the girl's face over. "That cut on your forehead looks a lot better," she said, gently running her index finger over the line near Chloe's hair line. "Do you remember anything from before the crash?"

Chloe shook her head as Sarah began moving around the room, pulling out a small bowl and putting in five purps. "Not really; I mean, I _think_ I know how old I am, and I'm pretty sure I've never been to Dr. Golds before."

Amelia gave Chloe a curious look as she tried to encourage her son to join her daughters. "Why is that?"

Chloe shuddered at the memory. "I'm a thousand percent sure that I would never forget those cold hands," she said, rubbing her upper arms for dramatic emphasis.

The older people laughed as Sarah brought the bowl of purps to the table. "Could you do me a favor, Chloe, and take these out to Jim?"

Chloe nodded, standing as she took the bowl in hand. "He should be out back somewhere; I told him to go fix something. Watch out for the hill; it's kind of steep." Sarah smiled as the younger woman exited the kitchen; then she turned to the Dopplers as they each took a seat at the table. "So?"

Delbert sighed as he took his glasses off and cleaned them with a small square of cloth. "I went and spoke with the local authorities while Amelia took Chloe to the doctor. There haven't been any reports of a missing woman on Montressor, though they said that they would be in touch if they heard of one from another planet."

Sarah nodded as she leaned against the counter and watched the Doppler children; they had all taken to playing a strange four way game of patty cake while they sat on the floor. B.E.N. had fallen unusually quiet, which Sarah hadn't totally noticed till now. "B.E.N., why don't you go and check the guest rooms, make sure there's enough towels and sheets."

The oddly silent robot nodded, taking off his chef's hat. "Sure thing Mrs. Hawkins, but may I uh…interject something right fast?" When the woman nodded, the robot took an unnecessary breath before continuing. "I'm a little worried about Jimmy; he doesn't seem very happy."

Sarah sighed sadly as she spoke. "I know B.E.N.; I've tried to talk to him. He just says he needs to figure things out." Sarah shook her head slightly, a frown making her appear older than she actually was. "I'm not entirely sure _what_ he needs to figure out, but-"

Delbert interjected. "Oh, his place in the universe, his goals for his life-"

"Not helping, Delbert," Amelia scolded her husband, who chuckled sheepishly as he placed his glasses back on his face.

"He's going to be okay, Sarah," Delbert said, giving his old friend a soft look. "You'll see."

Sarah gave him a half skeptical half teasing look. "The last time you said that, my inn got burned to the ground by pirates and then you and Jim left on a crazy treasure hunt."

The adults all laughed. At least that journey had all worked out for the better.

Meanwhile, Chloe had left the kitchen, bowl of purps in hand. She left through the front door and then wandered around to the back of the house. There was a steep hill, while Chloe approached with caution. She may not have been able to remember who exactly she was, but she was absolutely positive that maneuvering steep hills wasn't her forte.

She could see Jim down at the bottom of the hill, lying under something. _Solar surfer._ "Now where did that come from?" Chloe wondered. That was how she had come to know the name Chloe; when Sarah asked, it just came to her, like someone whispered the answer to her quietly in her ear.

Chloe shook her head and began heading down; it would be a lie to say that she wasn't excited about seeing Jim again. The man had saved her after all; it didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes. Tall, dark hair, large blue eyes. Chloe blushed as she walked. Her mind traveled back to earlier that morning when Jim had brought her breakfast.

His slight stutter probably would have gone unnoticed by a normal person, but Chloe happened to think that she wasn't very normal. _What's normal about someone with no memories?_ She asked herself. _Nothing_. The answer voice responded. Chloe shook her head, realizing that she should probably be focusing on where her feet were landing.

She realized this too late – a rock beneath her foot slipped and down she went, skidding down the remaining ten feet on the hill on her chest, the bowl of purps held over her head so she wouldn't spill them.

She had cried out when she started to fall, startling Jim who was still engrossed in his work. He jumped, banging his head against the solar surfer; he cursed as he rolled out from underneath it and sat up. He saw Chloe slide down the hill, bowl in her hands over her head.

"Okay," she said, her teeth clenched slightly. "That hurt."

Jim jumped up and went to her side. "Are you okay?" He asked, taking the bowl out of her hands. He stood back as she rolled onto her back, her hand going to her collar bone and rubbing it as if to try and alleviate pain. "You're not hurt are you?"

Chloe waved her free hand at him. "Not too bad no," she said, sitting up and then cringing. "That probably hurt me more than my crash did."

Jim laughed a little, trading the bowl to his left hand before offering Chloe his right. "I find that hard to believe," he said, helping Chloe to stand. He noticed that she was a fair bit shorter than him, standing only at five foot four inches or so. "You're lucky you didn't die, you know."

Chloe nodded, still rubbing her collar bone. "Lucky you decided to go swimming, more like."

Jim laughed a little before looking into the bowl Chloe had worked so hard to protect. Five purps, very purple and ripe. Jim smiled, knowing that his mother had sent them down. Purps weren't exactly his favorite, but they were nutritious, which was why Mrs. Hawkins insisted on feeding them to her son.

"Yeah," Chloe said, motioning toward the bowl in Jim's hand. "Your mom sent those down for you."

Jim nodded, laughing a little. "Yeah," he said. He moved back toward the solar surfer, setting the bowl on top before crawling back under to continue his work. "She sent me out here to be manly."

Chloe laughed as she stepped closer to Jim and his project. "Manly?"

Jim nodded before cursing. Damn his too large hands. "What's the matter?" Chloe asked softly, coming to Jim's side and sitting down on her knees beside him. The ground was a little muddy, but that was pretty unavoidable after the previous night's storm.

"I can't get my hands into this damn- ugh!" Jim pulled his hands away from the small opening, exasperated. "Guess I'm going to have to get B.E.N. and his needle fingers to help."

"Let me see," Chloe said, but before Jim could respond, she and wriggled her way under the solar surfer beside him. He gave her a shocked look as she scooted closer to him, trying to see the problem. "What do you need done?"

Jim shook his head slightly, still taken aback by her boldness. "I need those two wire ends put back together," he said, pointing to the severed blue wire in question. "That should get it running again."

Chloe nodded, reaching her tiny hands into the opening and attempting to repair the damage. Jim caught a glimpse of something – a ring on her left middle finger. It was a simple gold band, twisted around a richly colored brown stone with a crystal on either side of it. "What's that?" He asked, and then immediately regretted it. He probably would have smacked his fore head if there had been room.

Chloe's smile faded as her gave moved from the wire to the ring on her finger. "Not sure," she said. "Do you have something to hold these together with?"

Jim nodded, reaching up over them and retrieved some wire tape. He handed Chloe a piece, and she quickly secured it around the now rejoined wire. "Okay, give it a shot," she said, wriggling her way out from under the board.

Jim followed her, accepting her hand when she held it out to him to help him to stand. She smiled up at him before he turned back to the board. He hit the ignition switch toward the back of the board, and it hummed into life. Jim laughed a little as he turned back to face Chloe. "Thanks," he said, picking up the bowl of purps and walking back toward her.

Chloe smiled, smacking her hands together in an attempt to get the 'dirt' off of them. "No problem," she said before turning and beginning to head up the hill.

It was then that Jim noticed her limp. "Wait," he said, not entirely sure why he did. When Chloe turned back toward him, he looked around quickly, trying to find a reason to keep her down at the bottom of the hill until he was ready to leave and could get her back to the inn safely. He found his answer in the bowl of purps. "Ever had one of these before?" He immediately wanted to take that question back as well.

Chloe smiled, walking back over to him and taking a purp from the bowl. "Nope," she said, biting into the fruit, her eyes never leaving Jim's. "But I'm willing to try new things."

**Hello out there! Whoo, this took me forever to write! I really liked the idea of Chloe helping Jim with the solar surfer; not sure why, but I do.**

**Now, onto some new business. I would really like some reviews! They make me smile! It depresses me to see a big fat zero for the reviews on Lost Treasure. It's one of my babies!**

**I'm considering adopting a rule from one of my new favorite authors OMGitsEMILY: three or more reviews or no new chapter. But then again, I'm afraid that no one would care enough about the story to review in order to receive the next installment.**

**Hmmm…decisions. Segue into the next chapter: Jim's going to have to make some major decisions soon! But I'm not saying what! TeeHee! I'm evil.**

**Till next time!**

**XXOO~BBTM**


	4. Easy

_Chloe was really easy to talk to…a little too easy. I let a lot slip around her._

Chloe and Jim sat on the soggy ground, talking and eating the purps Mrs. Hawkins had sent down. They talked for what felt like hours, and yet also felt like only minutes. Jim didn't want it to end; it had been a while since he had just…talked.

"Okay, so you were a juvenile delinquent?" Chloe asked while licking purp juice off her fingers lightly. She found it hard to believe that a well respected military man like Jim had ever been in trouble with the law. But then, as she looked at him, she could see how. Deep in his blue eyes was a mischievous glint, one that made Chloe smile. She didn't know why, but she could identify with it.

Jim laughed a little as he bit into the purp he had been holding. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." He chewed for a moment before continuing. "But I like to think I was more of a rebel without a cause."

Chloe laughed and began reaching for another purp; there was only one left. "Oh," she said, picking up the bowl and holding it out to Jim. "You have it."

Jim took the last purp from the bowl, looking at it before he wrapped his hands around it and pulled it into two equal pieces. "We'll share it," he said, handing one dripping half to Chloe before taking a bite from his. "So…" he chewed as he thought. "What all do you know about yourself?"

Chloe wiped some juice away from her lips with the back of her hand before lowering her hands into her lap. "Not much. I know I'm eighteen – or at least, I'm pretty sure I am – and um…well, I like kids." She shrugged before taking a bite out of her half a purp. "The Dopplers are really nice; the spoke highly of you."

Jim choked a little as he ate the last bit of his purp. He hated being talked about behind his back. "Really? W-what did they say?"

Chloe smiled at his stutter. "Amelia said you were…what was it? Oh, extremely intelligent and resourceful. She wouldn't go into detail…" she trailed off to finish her purp. "Delbert said that you were an overall good guy. And your mom brags on you a lot too."

Jim groaned and scratched the back of his neck. Sure, what everyone said was nice enough, but he hated being conversed about. He stood from his place beside Chloe on the damp ground and walked over to the surfer they had just repaired together. He hit the release button on the back and the sail popped up, a little wrinkled, but in relatively good shape.

Chloe stood up as well, rubbing mud off her back side as she walked over to Jim. "So, solar surfers, huh?"

Jim nodded as he gently pulled the surfer off of the boxes and had it rest on the ground. He stepped up onto it, sliding his feet into the holds. It had been years since he had ridden. "Yeah; I got into a whole lot of trouble on this thing when I was younger."

Chloe watched as Jim started the machine up and shot off into the darkening sky. There was another storm on the way. Chloe watched as Jim maneuvered the board through the air, performing flips and barrels. She smiled. _Fun_. The answer voice. She suddenly realized that she knew what it was like to fly, to feel free. _"Why did I want to feel free?"_ She wondered as she heard Jim laugh from the air over her head. _"Wasn't I free?"_

Chloe shook her head as Jim came in and landed about five feet away from her. He retook the sail into the machine before leaning against a steep portion of the hill that had a bit of an overhanging above it. "That should keep it dry," Jim said quietly, almost to himself.

"Why did you want to be free?"

Jim turned to see Chloe standing behind him, her hands behind her back. Jim was confused by her question and gave her a look that reflected that. Chloe sighed before walking to stand beside him, skimming her fingers across the surface of the surfer. "You rode this when you were young because you wanted to be free; how come?"

Jim shook his head before letting it hang as he looked down at her. "I'm not sure; supposedly I have abandonment issues."

Chloe gave him a curious look. "Want to talk about it?"

Jim shook his head, but he began speaking anyway. "My dad left us when I was ten…" from there, Jim's entire life story dribbled out of his mouth all on its own. Chloe listened to everything, nodding slightly, twisting her ring around her finger. Whether he talked for a few minutes or a couple of hours, he wasn't sure. But Chloe listened until the very end.

When Jim had finished he released a breathy laugh. "Sorry; I didn't mean to talk your ear off. You've got enough to worry about without me playing emotional dumpster."

Jim turned and began walking up the hill when Chloe's voice followed him. "You're going to be ok, you know."

Jim turned back toward her; Chloe had turned to face him. "It almost sounds to me like you're worried about being like your father. You'll be fine; you're already a better man than he could have ever hoped to be."

Jim shook his head and put his hands on his hips, looking frighteningly similar to his mother. "How do you even know?"

Chloe shook her head as well before limping her way up to him on the hill. She stood before him and gazed up into his eyes. "Your dad ran away; he wasn't man enough to face his problems so he went on some grand adventure trying to forget. You came back. You've stuck through things that I'm pretty most people would turn into a puddle at. You're going to be just fine. At least, that my opinion."

Jim gave her a half amazed half disbelieving look. Chloe smiled up at him before she spoke again. "Thanks for letting me…sit and bother you all afternoon," she said, stretching up onto her toes and gently kissing his cheek. "It was fun."

Jim smiled back, his hand going up to rub the spot on his cheek that she had just kissed. "No problem; it was fun."

Chloe laughed a little and then turned to go back down the hill to retrieve the purp bowl. Jim watched as she limped; it looked as if her right leg was the one bothering her.

As Jim watched her, rain began to fall from the sky in big fat drops. Jim turned and began quickly walking up the hill in an attempt to get out of the rain, but he stopped when he heard a curse from the bottom of the hill. He turned back to see Chloe attempting to limp her way up the hill without out much success. Jim smiled a little as he made his way back down the hill.

Just as the drops began to fall faster, Jim reached Chloe. "C'mere," he said, stooping over in front of her. "I'll carry you."

Chloe gave him a bewildered look for a moment before gently climbing onto his back. "Hang on tight," he said as he reached his arms around and hooked them behind her knees. Chloe wrapped her arms around his shoulder, careful to keep the purp bowl out of Jim's face.

Jim noted that Chloe was remarkably light; he hadn't really paid much attention to it the previous night. He trudged his way up the hill, trying to hurry so that he and Chloe wouldn't end up soaked to the bone, but it appeared that he would have no such luck. He shook his head, trying to get the water out of his face so he could better watch where he was going.

Chloe noticed this and was struck by an idea. She kept her left arm wrapped around Jim's shoulders, but held the empty bowl over his head like an umbrella with her right hand. Jim laughed a little. "Thanks," he said as they finally got to the top of the hill and he began walking through the back door into the kitchen.

"Don't mention it," she said as Jim set her down on her feet in the kitchen. They were both soaked, but smiling.

B.E.N. and Sarah were hard at work, preparing dinner. Chloe glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. She and Jim had been outside for the majority of the day. "There you two are," Sarah sighed, moving away from the vegetables she was chopping. "I was starting to get worried."

"Sorry Mom," Jim said automatically, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to take some of the water out of it.

"Oh!" Sarah had just noticed that both Chloe and Jim were completely soaked. "Chloe, why don't you go up to your room and change into some dry clothes? Amelia left the clothes you picked up this morning up there for you."

Chloe nodded, giving Jim one last look. "Alright Mrs. Hawkins; I'll be back down to help out in a minute."

Sarah nodded as the young woman walked away through the swinging door; Jim began to walk away but was stopped by his mother's hand on his arm. "Jim, I need to talk to you about something."

Jim nodded as his mother glanced toward B.E.N. "B.E.N., why don't you…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," the robot said, slightly hurt that he was asked to leave the room whenever something important was being discussed. Sure, he was hyperactive and slightly annoying, wasn't he also trustworthy? He pulled off his chef's hat and tossed it on the counter before he left.

Once he was gone, Sarah turned back to her son. "Delbert went to the police to see if there were any missing person's reports in the area."

Jim nodded and his mother continued. "Until someone comes forward looking for her or until Chloe remembers something, I'm going to ask her to stay with us."

Jim nodded again. "Yeah, okay."

Sarah nodded. "I just wanted to make sure it was alright with you," she said, pushing her son's bangs out of his face. Jim was a good seven inches taller than his mother now, but he was still her son, so she still mothered him to death. "I know you've got some things to figure out for yourself, and I just wanted to be sure that having her around wouldn't hinder that."

Jim shook his head. "I'll be alright," he said, beginning to walk toward the swinging door so that he could go and get changed into dry, warm clothes.

Sarah watched her son go, a smile spreading across her face. She was glad to see that their new resident was occupying Jim's mind. As Sarah turned back to the vegetables she had been chopping, she chuckled a little, wondering how things would have turned out if she had been a matchmaker instead of an inn keeper.

Meanwhile, Jim had made his way up to his room, his gaze lingering on Chloe's door as he opened his own. His thoughts were interrupted when Morph flew out of Jim's room like a bat out of hell, colliding with Jim's forehead. "Ow! Morph!"

The pink blob of a creature chattered angrily at Jim, scolding him for leaving the door closed all day. He had been about to verbally retaliate when a soft giggle caught his attention. Jim turned toward Chloe's door and sat her poking her head out. Her hair was hanging down, wavy from having been wetted while pulled back into a braid. She gave Jim a smile and a small wave, which he returned before she disappeared back into her room.

Morph chattered to Jim, confused as to who Chloe was. "That's Chloe, Morph," Jim explained as he stepped into his room. "She's a new friend."

**Yippie! I think I'm back from my semi hiatus! I really hope you enjoyed this one! I wanted to write the piggy back scene for a long time, so I really hope it turned out well.**

**I'm also so very happy to be receiving reviews! Seriously, I did a happy jig! Keep them coming!**

**Also, I've got a request: I'm looking for anyone who is on Deviantart who would be willing to collaborate with me on character sketches. I'm not very good at drawing, see, and so if anyone is willing to lend a helping hand involving any of my stories, it would be greatly appreciated.**

**So, yeah, R&R check out my other stuff, and I'll see you next time!**

**XXOO~BBTM**


	5. Realizations

_I guess, as time went on, I fell for her…I just didn't really realize it._

Chloe was at the Benbow a month before anyone really realized it. She made an agreement with Sarah, saying that she would work around the inn where ever she was needed in exchange for living there. She worked in the kitchen; she changed out linens in the guest rooms and did the laundry of the inn's permanent residents (Sarah, Jim and herself.)

Jim was still trying to 'figure things out', but every time he was too engrossed in his thoughts, Chloe would come to him. Sarah still sent him off to be manly, so he mostly ended up repairing things around the inn. A leak in the roof, bricks falling off the chimney, broken window, loose weather vane; Jim ended up fixing it all, along with working on the vehicles of inn goers if they needed it.

The work itself wasn't too bad, earning Jim some money of his own, but it never kept his mind occupied. As he worked to repair whatever it was that needed repairing, his mind would wander first to his father, then to Silver. Jim would start to get depressed the more that he thought, because he was still stuck in the same place he was when he first got home. Something was missing…but what?

Every time that question crossed Jim's mind, Chloe would appear, almost as if by magic, usually bringing him food sent by his mother. The two would sit and talk, eating together. Once the food was gone, Chloe would go back to the inn to work while Jim continued with whatever he had been working on.

Chloe couldn't remember much from before her crash. She managed to pull insignificant things from deep within her mind. Her favorite color to wear was green, while her favorite color in general was strawberry. She didn't eat meat (which they found out the hard way when she entered the kitchen while it was cooking and got sick because of the smell). And she loved to read; she was constantly borrowing books from the Dopplers.

The authorities never got in touch with Sarah; she assumed that no missing person's reports had been filed. It made her rather happy to have Chloe around; the young woman was entertaining, and Sarah also enjoyed attempting to get Jim and Chloe together. The two young people were oblivious to Sarah's actions, which made things even more entertaining for the inn keeper/ matchmaker.

One night, a month after Chloe's crash landing into his life, Jim got up to get something to drink. His mind was working hard instead of letting him go to sleep; he thought maybe some purp juice would help him wind down.

A thunder storm was pounding the inn mercilessly; lightning flashed and thunder responded loudly. Jim could feel it vibrate within the ground under his bare feet as he walked. He went into the kitchen, but found that there wasn't any juice to drink. He sighed, returning to his room.

As he passed Chloe's room, thunder rattled the inn so loudly that Jim's eardrums rang. He heard a cry; Chloe must have been awaked by the storm. Jim knocked on her door. "Chloe," he whispered just loud enough to be heard over the storm. "Are you okay?"

No answer; thunder rocked the house again, and Jim heard another yelp of fear. He opened Chloe's door a crack, trying to see if she was alright. As lightning flashed, Jim saw a quivering ball lying in the center of Chloe's bed. Jim took a step forward, holding his hand out in front of him so he wouldn't run into anything. "Chloe?"

Chloe jumped at the sound of her name; she had her comforter wrapped around herself tightly, as if that would protect her from the storm. "J-jim," she stammered. The house shook again as thunder rolled, and Chloe yelped again, flattening herself against her bed as best she could.

Jim gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Chloe, are you okay?"

Chloe nodded despite her trembling. "Y-yeah…I'm f-fine. You can go back to bed."

Jim sat down on the edge of her bed, keeping a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're afraid of storms?"

Chloe started to shake her head no, but when thunder rumbled again, she whimpered. "Yeah, but just the thunder."

Jim chuckled a little as he began to gently rub her back. "It's okay," he said. "It can't hurt you."

"I know that," Chloe said, her voice muffled by the mattress. "That doesn't mean it scares me any less."

Jim laughed a little as Chloe began to sit up. "I think the storm's passing, so you should be okay."

Chloe nodded, managing to give Jim a small smile. Then the house was rocked by thunder again, and she panicked. She launched herself at Jim, wrapping her arms around his stomach. Jim jumped as well, caught off guard by the sudden attachment. When he felt her shaking, he took to rubbing her back gently again. "Hey, it's okay; I'm right here. It's okay."

Jim moved a little, leaning up against the head board with his legs stretched out across the bed. He kept an arm around Chloe, his hand resting in the middle of her back. She clung to him tightly, cringing with every roll of thunder. Jim heard her speak, her voice muffled, this time by his shirt. "Sorry," she said, but snuggled closer to him as she did.

Jim laughed a little as he took to running his fingers through the ends of her hair. "Don't worry about it," he said. The two stayed that way, Chloe's head on Jim's chest until they both fell asleep.

**XD XD XD**

"James Pleiades Hawkins!"

Jim woke with a start at hearing his name being yelled. He was lying on his side, facing the door to the room he was in. His mother stood in the door way, her hands in her hips and an angry expression on her face. "Just what is going on here?"

Jim gave her a confused look, not entirely sure what she meant. Then he felt the movement in front of him; when Jim looked down, he saw Chloe, her arms wrapped around his stomach, her face buried in his chest.

Jim gasped softly, not remembering how he had gotten there. When he did remember, he smiled at the sleeping girl, gently brushing some of her hair away from her cheek. Chloe sighed in her sleep, snuggling closer to him.

Sarah began tapping her foot from the door way, but her angry face was replaced by a smirk. "I'll explain later, Mom," Jim whispered. Sarah shook her head, then nodded and pulled the door closed behind her.

**XD XD XD **

Chloe avoided Jim most of the day; she had been very embarrassed to wake up clinging to a very attractive man. Unfortunately for her, that day was Jim's twenty first birthday, so she had no choice but to interact with him that night at the party Sarah had insisted on having.

Sarah didn't say anything to Chloe after her son explained why he had been in the young lady's room; Chloe was grateful for that. She had been embarrassed enough when she woke up to find Jim gazing down at her; she didn't want to have to try and explain anything to his mother. Besides, nothing inappropriate happened. Jim had just been attempting to comfort a friend.

_"Jim's my friend,"_ Chloe thought as she went about her day, helping Jim's mother prepare for the party that night. _"Friends can comfort each other like that, right?"_

What Chloe couldn't wrap her head around was why every time she thought of Jim, her closest friend, her heart would go into over drive.

**XD XD XD **

That evening there was a celebration, the likes of which the Benbow Inn had never seen. There was food, drink and dancing in honor of Jim's twenty-first birthday. Morph even transformed into a crown and remained perched on Jim's head throughout the night.

Jim and Sarah had just finished leading a line dance, and the other party goers were wandering off in search of food and drink. Jim had taken a seat in a chair beside the window, politely refusing any alcohol that was offered to him. Just because he was of age didn't mean he wanted to drink the stuff; he hated the smell by itself. He doubted he would like the taste.

The Dopplers came over to see him, all four children presenting him with gifts. From Albert, Jim received a noodle portrait of the Doppler children with their 'Uncle Jimmy'. The blonde daughter, Clara, gave Jim a finger painting of what looked like Jim solar surfing. It was either that or a Candarian zap-wing crashing into a cliff. Jim couldn't tell which, but he smiled at the child anyway.

The brunette and red headed girls, Bertha and Phoebe, presented Jim with what looked like an ashtray. It was large enough for Jim to wear it as a hat, but he didn't do that because he was sure that would upset the two young girls. He smiled again, hugging all the children tightly before they were shepherded away by their mother. The Doc spoke with Jim just before the family left for the night, wishing him a happy birthday and handing him a wrapped package, which turned out to be a book on the mechanics of several different types of ships. Jim thanked him as he walked out the door.

Jim watched the party, glad to see everyone was having a good time. He could see B.E.N. dancing in his strange robotic way as other party goers alternated between dancing and drinking.

"Jim?"

Jim looked toward the stairs leading to the guestrooms; Chloe was standing on the third step up, dressed in a very pretty green dress. It was fitted on her torso, and then the skirt flowed down from her waist. It had short sleeves and a square cut neck line that was both modest and flattering. The skirt ended at her ankles, and Jim noticed that she was wearing new shoes, a pair of black boot like…things that cut off around her ankles. When Chloe noticed Jim looking her up and down, she blushed, shifting the package she was holding in her hands slightly.

"I, uh…" she started before walking down the stairs and coming to stand in front of him. "Happy birthday."

Chloe held the package out to him; it was a rectangular shape wrapped in green cloth and tied with a light green ribbon. Jim smiled at her as he took it from her; her hands immediately went up to play with the end of her braid, which was hanging over her left shoulder and was held in place by a green ribbon which matched her dress.

Jim untied the ribbon around the package and then gently pulled the green cloth away. "That's actually a handkerchief," Chloe said softly as Jim inspected what it had been wrapped around.

A dark brown leather novel with the words 'Treasure Planet' printed on the cover and spine in an elegant script. "It's not holographic like the one you had where you were a kid, but I thought you would like it."

Jim smiled at her as he stood. "Thank you," he said, but was then unsure about what else to do. He stooped down and kissed Chloe's cheek, causing her to blush deep burgundy. "Would you like to dance?" Jim asked her, holding his hand out to her.

"Oh, uh," Chloe started, picking at her fingernails. "Jim, I can't even manage to walk down the stairs with almost dying on a daily basis. I don't think dancing will be a good idea for me."

Jim laughed a little as he took Chloe's hand in his. "Don't worry, I'll teach you."

Chloe began to protest, but Jim pulled her out amongst the other party goers as a new song started up. "Stand back to back with me," he said. Chloe did as she was told; Jim took hold of her hands as they stood back to back, lacing his fingers through hers. "Now we're going to go to the left; move your feet side-back-side-front in time with the music, okay?"

"Jim…" Chloe said uncertainly.

"Don't worry," Jim said, squeezing her hands, trying to reassure her.

They began moving to the music, traveling from one side of the room to the other. "Now turn around and face me," Jim said, quickly releasing Chloe's left hand and spinning her around to face him.

Chloe was caught by surprise and blushed at the sudden closeness. "Now what?"

"We go back across the floor the way we came, just facing each other." Jim pushed Chloe away gently, allowing their feet to have enough room to maneuver. They made their way back across the floor, and Chloe laughed. "You're doing it Chloe!" Jim said happily as they came to the other end of the room and the song ended.

"I did it!" Chloe jumped up and down a little, hugging Jim tightly around the neck. Jim hugged her back, his heart hammering in his chest, though he wasn't sure if it was from the dancing or from Chloe's embrace.

Jim glanced down at her just as she gazed up at him, and they both came to a realization. They cared for one another. After a month of friendship, the two young people had come to care about each other very much. Chloe was standing on her toes already as she kept her arms wrapped around Jim's neck, but she stretched herself up toward him just as Jim leaned down. Their lips met for the briefest of moments before they heard a distinctive 'awwww' from B.E.N., who had managed to find is way over to them.

Chloe jumped back slightly, her face flushed and a goofy sort of grin on her face. "Thanks B.E.N.," she said before turning away from Jim, her embarrassment getting the better of her.

"Any time Chloe!" The robot gave her a semi-salute. "Jimmy, there's someone at the door asking for you."

"Who is it?" Jim asked, giving Chloe one last glance before following the robot to the door.

B.E.N. shrugged before pulling the door open.

"Jimbo!"

Jim froze, a smile spreading across his face. Standing on his door step, wrapped in a black traveling cloak was John Silver.

**Yippee! I've really wanted to write that dance moment for a long time. I'm thinking of attempting to draw Chloe's party outfit, but I'm worried it won't turn out well. If anyone's willing to help, let me know!**

**Also, I'd just like to warn everyone that Silver is going to seem like the bad guy in this fic for a bit. He'll come around eventually, I promise you, and he's not totally bad, he's just attempting to make a living and going about it the wrong way.**

**Also, thanks so much for reviewing! It means the world to me! Keep them coming, and I'll keep the chapters coming!**

**Lastly, the 'dance' Jim and Chloe do is one I made up; all you do is stand back to back holding hands and to a grapevine to the left till you reach the end of the floor. Then you turn around and do a grapevine to the right, this time facing each other. It's really fun!**

**Till next time!**

**XXOO~BBTM**


	6. Here On Business

_I was really glad to see Silver again…but when he told me why he was there, I got worried…_

After a quick hello and welcome, Jim took Silver into the kitchen, which B.E.N. and his mother had adopted as their hiding place away from the drunken guests. Silver had his hat pulled down, concealing his cyborg eye; he kept his right arm wrapped in his traveling cloak. The only thing you could notice was his mechanical leg, but he wasn't the only man in the Etherium to have one. Sarah gave her son a curious look. "Who's this Jim?"

B.E.N.'s eyes narrowed uncharacteristically when he recognized Silver, but he didn't say a word. B.E.N. figured if Jim trusted the 'former' pirate, then he should also. The robot excused himself, deciding it would be better for him to leave the room so he wouldn't be able to blab something about Silver's treachery on Treasure Planet in the presence of Mrs. Hawkins.

"Mom," Jim started, ushering Silver into the room. "This is an old friend of mine; from the Treasure Planet voyage. Meet John Silver."

Silver took Sarah's hand in his flesh one and kissed it politely. "Pleasure ta meet ya ma'm!"

Sarah nodded a little with a small smile. "Nice to meet you too Mr. Silver. Jim, I'm going to make sure everything's going ok with your party. Don't be away too long." Sarah kissed her son's cheek before leaving the kitchen.

Silver watched her go. "You didn' tell yer mother 'bout all t'e goins on of tha' particular voyage, now did ya lad?"

Jim laughed a little, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh, no, not all of it…So, what brings you here Silver? Are you still on the run? Still a pirate? Can I get you a drink or..?"

"Jimbo!" Silver laughed as he spoke, he large belly dancing around. "Ye don' 'ave ta worry 'bout makin' me comfortable," the cyborg said, readjusting his cap, revealing his mechanical eye. He brought his mechanical arm out and stretched the fingers. "I's 'ere on business, ya see."

"Jim?"

Jim jumped, thinking that his mother had come back, but turned toward the kitchen door to see Chloe poking her head into the room. "I uh…just wanted to say good night."

Jim nodded, offering his hand out to her. "C'mere," he said softly. She obliged, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her into the room and in front of Silver, who had taken a seat at the table. "Chloe, this is John Silver. Silver, meet Chloe."

Chloe gave Silver a bewildered look. "You're John Silver?" She glanced at Jim, who was standing beside her, an arm around her back. When Jim nodded, Chloe turned back to Silver, a large smile on her face. "It's wonderful to meet you Silver!" She held her right hand out to him, but then caught sight of his mechanical arm, so she switched to her left hand.

Silver started to take her hand and kiss it politely, but he stopped when he noticed her ring. He eyed it for a moment before speaking. "Pardon me askin' lass, but, where exactly did ye get this?"

Chloe pulled her hand back and began twisting the ring around her finger nervously. "I uh…I don't know."

Jim explained Chloe's situation; Silver listened closely and as Jim reached the end of the story, he began digging around in the pocket of his travel cloak. "Jimbo," he said excitement in his eyes. "Your lil' lass 'ere has jus' saved me some time!"

Jim cocked his head as the cyborg retrieved something from his pocket. "What do you mean?"

"T'e business I's 'ere fer!" Silver said excitedly, shoving a piece of paper into Jim's hand. "I was sent ta find 'er!"

Jim looked at the piece of paper. It was a picture, the old fashioned ones that were printed on paper and weren't holographic and didn't move. It was a family of six; an older looking gentleman in fancy clothing standing alongside an equally fancy woman. The man wore military retirement best dress, his dark hair pulled out of his face with a ribbon the same shade of blue as his uniform. The woman sat in a chair, her light brown hair pulled into a knot on top of her head.

Standing on the other side of the woman was a set of identical twin girls, both the spitting image of their father (unfortunately for them). They were both wearing light blue dresses, their dark hair hanging around their faces in large curls.

Sitting in front of the woman was another set of girls; not twins, but you could tell they were related. The daughter on the right of the woman's feet was a perfect mix of the man and woman, with the woman's delicate features but the man's coloration. The final girl, who appeared to be no older than sixteen in the picture, sat on her knees on the woman's left. The woman had her hand pressed firmly into the girls' shoulder, keeping her in place.

Jim examined the final girl closely as Chloe peered over his shoulder. The girl was attractive, with pale skin, large green eyes and hair the color of burnt sugar falling over her shoulder in a neat braid. She wore a rather plain green dress with long sleeves and a square neck line.

Jim sqeezed his eyes shut and shook his head a little before looking at the young woman in the photo again. There was no doubt about it. "Chloe," he said softly, pointing to the girl in the photo. "That's you."

Chloe looked closely at the photo before a small gasp sprang from her lips. "Oh my…that's me!" She looked back to Silver. "My family sent you?"

Silver nodded. "Aye, lass, they sent me lookin' fer ya to bring ya home. Ya see, you're supposed to be married in a month's time."

Chloe gasped again, but this time it was a frightened sound. "I'm sorry, but I…" she glanced at Jim for a moment before speaking. "I can't go back. I…have no intentions of leaving Jim."

Jim cast her a slightly shocked look as Silver addressed her. "Now, lass, I's sorry to tell ye this, but you ain't got no choice in t'e matter. Yer father, Lord Alders, ordered me te bring ye back."

Chloe shook her head. "How do you even know that I'm the girl you're looking for?"

Silver motioned to her ring. "T'at there? T'at's a ring yer father gave you and all your sisters when 'e found ya each a husband. Yer initials is engraved on t'e inside. Yer name is Vivian Kim Alexis Janele Alders; yer father's a nobleman who owns several planets across the Etherium."

Chloe slid her ring off her finger and peered at the inside of the thin band. Sure enough, etched into the gold, were the letters V, K, A, J, and A. Chloe released a shaky breath before sliding the ring back onto her finger. "You can tell my father that I'm staying here," she nodded curtly before turning to Jim. "Now, goodnight."

With that said, Chloe left the kitchen. Jim watched her go, wondering why her mood had soured so quickly. "Sorry about that Silver," he said, running a hand through his hair. "You'd think she'd be happy to hear that her family is looking for her…"

"Now, don't ye worry 'bout it lad," Silver said. "Now, why don't ye get me t'at drink you was talkin' 'bout earlier?"

**XD XD XD**

Later that night, after the party had finished and the guests had gone, Jim headed up to his room to change and then get some sleep. His head was swimming a little from everything that had transpired: kissing Chloe, Silver showing up, Silver revealing that he was there to find Chloe and take her home.

Jim was glad to hear that Chloe's family was looking for her. He didn't, however, like the prospect of her leaving the Benbow to go get married. Silver had explained that Chloe's (Vivian's) fiancé was a noble man old enough to be her father; it was a marriage of prospect. Lord Alders hoped to gain favor with another nobleman, Lord Randall, with the marriage of his youngest daughter.

"Morph!" Jim head a voice from inside his room. "Give it back!"

Jim smiled as he came to his door way to see Chloe in a brown night gown, jumping in an attempt to catch the pink blob as it zoomed around the room chanting "Give it back! Give it back!" Morph had apparently stolen Chloe's hair brush; her hair bounced freely around her face as she attempted to retrieve the brush from Morph.

Jim cleared his throat from his spot in the door way. Chloe turned to face him, her face pink from both embarrassment ad exasperation. She pointed to the chattering creature accusingly. "Morph stole my hair brush!"

Jim laughed a little as Morph came to rest on his shoulder. "I can see that. Morph, give it back."

The blob chattered unhappily at Jim as he flew back over to Chloe and dropped the brush in her hand. "Thank you Morph," she said, reaching out and stroking the creature's head with her finger. Morph's mood brightened as he nuzzled against Chloe's cheek before flying over to Jim's bed and making himself comfortable on the pillow.

Chloe began walking out of Jim's room, smiling at him slightly as she went. "Thanks Jim," she said, stopping in the door way to stretch up onto her toes and kiss his cheek.

Jim returned her smile before speaking. "Are you sure you don't want to go back to your family?"

Chloe stopped walking and turned to face him. She took a breath and began running the brush through her hair as she spoke. "I know that I ran away for a reason; I wasn't happy. I mean, I'll go back if you want me to-"

Jim shook his head quickly. "No, that's not what I meant. I just thought that… I don't know, I just thought that maybe you would want to go back. That seems like the normal thing to do."

Chloe stopped brushing her hair; she took a step closer to Jim and looked him in the eyes. "Haven't you learned by now that I'm not a normal girl?"

Chloe turned and walked to her room and Jim watched her go, glad that she had decided to stay with him and his mother at the Benbow. As Jim entered his room and prepared for bed, something Silver had said struck him. _You ain't got no choice in t'e matter._ That worried Jim a little as he got into bed that night. Why exactly didn't Chloe have a choice about who she married? He didn't have much time to think on it though; he quickly fell asleep, worn out from the day's events.

**Hooray! A new chapter! Let me tell you, I had a rough time with Silver's dialogue; I hope I did okay.**

**R&R if you want the next chapter…I'm slightly ashamed that I've taken to holding my work for ransom, but it seems to work, so…**

**Till next time!**

**XXOO~BBTM**


	7. A Dangerous Day At The Market

_I wish I had known then what I know now…maybe things would have turned out differently…_

The next morning, Jim woke just as the sun was rising. He got up, bathed, and then dressed for the day – light brown shirt, green pants, brown belt, and black boots- before heading down stairs to find breakfast. On his way down the hall, he paused at Chloe's door. What Silver had said the night before was beginning to nag at his mind again. _You ain't got no choice in t'e matter._ Jim tried to shake it off as he knocked on Chloe's door. He had the vague thought that he should call her Vivian as he heard her call 'Come in.'

Jim cracked the door open and poked his head in; Chloe/Vivian was lying on her bed, the blankets pulled half way down. The side of her face was pressed into the mattress just below her pillow. She glanced at Jim out of the corner of her eye. "Good morning," she muttered as she reached her hand up to scratch her head. Her hair was fanned out on the mattress and pillows, having been left out of its usual braid.

"Morning," Jim said, opening the door a little wider, poking his torso into the room. "I was uh…wanna get breakfast?" He asked, hitching a thumb over his shoulder.

Chloe rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the heels of her hands and inhaled deeply. She turned her head toward the ceiling and stared up at it blankly. "Sure," she said. She pushed herself up out of the bed, yanking the covers off of her legs as she did.

"Well, erm…" Jim started, scratching the back of his neck. "Okay, I'll see you down there." Jim began to pull out of the door way to begin heading downstairs.

"Jim, wait, I…" Jim poked his head back into the room as Chloe stood up from her bed. She went to the trunk at the foot of her bed, opened it and pulled out a blue dress. It was long, probably landing on the ankles, with light blue cloth except for the dark blue vest. Chloe folded it over her arm as she closed the trunk. She heaved a sigh before casting a look to Jim. "Jim…what are we?"

Jim raised an eyebrow slightly, not entirely sure what Chloe meant. "I er…what?"

Chloe sighed as she went back to her bed side table to grab her hair brush and hair tie. She walked back toward the door and looked up into Jim's eyes. "What are we? The two of us?"

Jim was taken aback; he wasn't sure what the correct answer was. He pushed the door open a bit more, leaning against the door frame as he scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I uh…I mean, we're friends, right?"

He knew as soon as the words left his lips that they weren't what Chloe had wanted to hear. Her face fell a little and she cast her gaze to the ground. "Oh, well…" she glanced back up at him, a forced smile on her face. "Yeah, we're friends. Excuse me," she attempted to push past him into the hall way.

"Wait," Jim put an arm in front of her to stop her, resting his hand on the other side of the door frame. "I didn't mean it like that, I erm…" he ran his other hand through his hair.

Chloe gave him the forced smile again; it was rather convincing, but he could tell that she wasn't very happy. "No, it's okay Jim; I understand. You're a good friend. Now, if you'll excuse me…" She ducked under his arm and quickly scurried down the hall and into the bathroom.

"Chloe, wait a-"Jim was cut off by the bath room closing loudly. He heaved a sigh, shaking his head. "Way to go Jim," he said under his breath as he began walking down to the kitchen, his feet dragging slightly as he went.

On the other side of the bathroom door, Chloe was pacing, still in her pink night gown. Her hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders and she had taken to twisting a large swatch of it in her hands. Left, right, left, right. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ She thought. _Why did you have to go and ask that stupid question? Your big mouth always gets you into trouble!_

Chloe stopped pacing; she suddenly knew that her mouth _did_ always get her into trouble, even before she came to the Benbow. She couldn't remember what she had said, or who to, but she knew deep in her stomach that she had gotten into a lot of trouble throughout her life for not watching her mouth.

She shook her head and quickly got ready to face the day…and face Jim again. _Can't hide out in the bathroom forever…despite how much I want to._ Chloe bathed quickly, then dressed and ran her brush through her hair. As she weaved her hair into a braid, Chloe caught sight of her ring. She finished with her hair before eyeing it for a long moment.

If it weren't for this ring, Silver would have never found her. It was the only tie she had to who she really was, but after living with everyone at the Benbow for a month, she wasn't sure she wanted to regain her memories. Her family had three other daughters apparently; she wouldn't really be missed. But then she remembered what Silver had said about her impending marriage. She began to wonder if her future husband missed her.

Chloe shook her head sharply, tearing her gaze away from her ring. Even if her intended missed her, she couldn't bear the thought of leaving Jim. Even if they were just friends. Chloe sucked in a determined breath and left the bathroom.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Jim had taken a seat at the table and had his forehead pressed into the unfinished surface. B.E.N. gave him a concerned look as he cooked breakfast for the guests; Sarah raised an eyebrow when she came in to pick up orders. "B.E.N., what's wrong with Jim?"

The robot shrugged as he loaded plates onto the tray Sarah was carrying. "I'm not sure; I mean, I asked him, and he didn't even tell me to be quiet."

Sarah set the tray down on the counter and walked over to her son, gently setting her hand on the back of his head. "Jim, honey, are you feeling well? Do you need to go back to bed?"

Jim shook his head, scratching his forehead against the wood of the table. Sarah smoothed her hand over his hair as the kitchen door swung open. Chloe walked in to the kitchen and could immediately sense something wasn't right. She noticed Jim sitting hunched over the table. She took a step toward him, but remembering their brief exchange of words from earlier, she decided it would probably be best for her to give him some space. She went to pour herself a glass of purp juice.

"Oh, Chloe," Sarah said, still rubbing the back of her son's head as she spoke. "I need you to run to the market for me. We're running low on a couple things I'm going to need to cook lunch."

Chloe nodded, drinking her juice quickly. "I'll go ahead and go; do you have a list?"

Sarah nodded, leaving her son's side to go over to the counter. She handed Chloe the list before picking up the tray of forgotten food for waiting guests. "Take Jim with you; I think he could use the fresh air."

Jim's head jerked up at the mention of his name; his gaze met Chloe's but he immediately looked away. He felt bad about the misunderstanding they had had, but he wasn't sure how to smooth it over. He pushed up from the table and shoved his hands in his pants pockets. "Let's go then," he said softly to Chloe, who led the way out of the kitchen, list in hand.

**XD XD XD**

A few short hours later, Jim and Chloe were beginning to walk back to the Benbow after they had finished at the market. Jim carried a large sack of flour over his right shoulder and a bucket of some strange aquatic creatures in his left hand. Chloe had a similar bucket with different – though equally strange- aquatic creatures inside it in her left hand and a basket of vegetables in her right. "What do you think your mom's making?" Chloe asked a slightly frightened tone in her voice.

Jim laughed a little as they walked through the crowded market. "I have no clue."

Chloe glanced back over her shoulder; she had been doing that a lot since they had been out. Jim had noticed it, but hadn't said anything. He also hadn't tried to clear up the misunderstanding from that morning. He wanted to tell Chloe that he wanted them to be more than friends, but he had no idea how.

Jim didn't have much experience in talking to women; the only women he had ever interacted with were his mother and Captain Amelia, and they didn't really count. Not the same way Chloe did. The only experience Jim had with women that weren't maternal or authoritative figures was from his school days; he had had his share of crushes, but he had only acted on one.

Her name was Lilia; she wasn't obviously beautiful (dark hair, dark eyes and dark skin), but she and Jim had always gotten along rather well. They would sometimes ditch school together to ride solar surfers. Nowadays, Lilia was married to a merchant and they had a daughter. She still lived on Montressor, but Jim never saw her.

Jim could remember when he had told Lilia that he had a crush on her; they had ditched school and had spent the day showing solar surfing trick to each other. They had been taking a break and Jim had kind of blurted it out in a rather unintelligible manner. Once she had realized what he had said, Lilia had smiled, kissed his cheek, and told him, "Jim, you're awesome, but…you're uh…more like my brother."

That had stung; Jim wondered if that's how Chloe felt when he had said they were friends. He knew that he needed to try and make things better between them, but damn it all, he just had no idea how to do it.

"Jim," Chloe said, pulling Jim from his thought. "I think we're being followed."

"What?" Jim looked back over his shoulder to see a large man in a dark traveling cloak walking behind them. He maintained a distance of about ten feet, but from the way he matched their pace perfectly, you could tell that he was following them.

Jim moved closer to Chloe. "Don't worry; I won't let him bother you."

Chloe nodded a little, but still continued to glance over her shoulder every so often. They were almost back to the inn; they had maybe five minutes before the main street of the market turned into the dirt road leading to the Benbow.

Out of nowhere, two more cloaked figures appeared on either side of Jim and Chloe. They closed in quickly, grabbing the couple before they could react. "Hey!" Jim's attacker grabbed his arms, forcing him to drop the bucket and flour sack. The person was the same height and build as Jim, but was stronger by a long shot; he twisted Jim's right arm behind his back and forced him to his knees.

"Jim!" Chloe's attacker had grabbed her around the waist and picked her up, forcing her to drop her goods as well. Chloe squirmed as her attacker began briskly walking back in the direction of the market. "You let me go you brute!"

Chloe kicked her food backwards, and her heel clearly connected with something because her attacker doubled over in pain. Jim's attacker laughed lowly. "Bloody pansy," he muttered. His concentration was broken for only a moment, but Jim used that moment to twist free. He spun around on his assailant, driving his fist into the man's face hidden by the hood of his cloak.

Chloe had gotten free from her attacker and Jim ran to her. "C'mon!" He grabbed her hand and began dragging her up the road toward the inn.

"No!" she called. "Then they'll know where we're staying!"

Jim twisted around to try and take them back into the crowded market, thinking they could lose their attackers there, but he ran into some one. He hit whoever it was with such force that Jim was knocked to the ground, pulling Chloe with him. She cried out when her head struck the ground.

The original cloaked figure held out a gun with his right hand. Jim's eyes narrowed when he realized that the arm was mechanical; there was no right hand, the gun was _a part_ of the arm. "I thought I told you to stay out of trouble," Jim said darkly.

"Aye, ya did lad," Silver's voice drifted from beneath the hood of the traveling cloak. "But tis all jus' good business. Ya understand." The other two cloaked figures appeared on either side of Silver. "Take t'e lass back to the ship; we's te leave as soon as we get clearance."

Chloe was dazed as she lay on the ground on Jim's right. Silver's accomplices came and began trying to force her to stand up. She had enough sense about her to fight as they pulled her to her feet. Jim continued to stare down his former friend, the barrel of a gun hovering just feet away from his face.

Once the accomplices had Chloe on her feet but firmly in their grasp, they began backing away from Jim. Silver didn't say a word as he began backing away from Jim, the gun still on the young man.

Chloe came out of her dazed state for a moment, pulling herself out of the grasp of her captors. "Jim!" The shorter of the two, the assailant who had originally grabbed Chloe, ran and tackled her to the ground. Her forehead hit the packed earth, and with one final groan she fell unconscious.

"No!" Jim began scrambling to his feet, but froze when he heard Silver's gun cock. He sat crouched on the ground, a death glare plastered on his handsome face as he watched the trio carry Chloe's limp form away. They disappeared into the flow of foot traffic of the market. The other shoppers didn't show any sign that they had just witnessed a brutal attack and kidnapping.

Jim shook his head in disgust as he forced himself to his feet and bolted for the Benbow Inn.

**Muahahah *cough cough* cliff hanger! I hope this chapter sounds okay; I've had a hell of a day and I refused to go to sleep until I finished this one.**

**Hope you liked this one, there will be another one soon, I swear. R&R please!**

**Also, I just wanted to let ya'll know: Chloe isn't weak; she just get incapacitated by blows to the head very easily. I'm the exact same way. Seriously, if I hit my head, I'm drunk as a skunk pretty much for the rest of the day. Don't worry, she'll get to show her stuff in the next chapter, and trust me, she's totally kick ass!**

**Till next time ~ BBTM**


	8. Rescued

_I wasn't sure what I needed to do…but I knew I had to do something. I couldn't just let them take her away._

Jim ran as quickly as he could, willing his legs to go faster, to the Benbow Inn. He tore open the front door and ran back to the kitchen. "Mom, you've gotta call the cops!" Sarah had been standing at the counter, but spun around when her son had charged into the room. "B.E.N., go get Captain Amelia; get her to put a stall on all ships leaving the planet! Go, now!"

The robot saluted, shouting a quick, "Roger, Captain Jimmy!" before running from the room.

Sarah looked over her son, taking in his frantic expression and his sweaty face. "Jim, what's happened?"

Jim shook his head as he began searching the kitchen for something. "Chloe's been kidnapped; they're trying to force her to go back to her family. I need you to call the cops. Where's that gun you bought?"

Sarah pulled open the cabinet below the sink, pulling out a pistol and handing it to her son. "Jim, don't do anything rash," she said as her son put the gun in the back of his waistband.

Jim nodded before quickly leaving the kitchen. "I'm going after them," he said, running out of the inn and going around behind it. He skidded down the hill toward where his solar surfer was resting. He pulled it away from the hill where it had remained hidden from the rain.

Sarah called down the hill toward her son. "Jim, wait a second!" Jim came running back up the hill, solar surfer under his arm. "Jim, I'll go call the police, you don't need to go after anyone."

"Yes I do," Jim said as he reached the top of the hill and set the board of the ground. He hit the ignition and smiled slightly when the surfer hummed to life. He hopped on, hitting the switch to release the sail and handle. "I can't just let them take her away."

Sarah put a hand on her son's arm to stop his departure. "We've talked about this; we knew she would have to go home eventually."

Jim shook his head lightly. "I know that, but…I can't let them take her. She wants to be here… with me."

Sarah sighed at her son. "Jim, I know but…women don't have the right to choose where they go or stay. If her father wants her back, she'll have to go."

"Mom," Jim said. He wasn't sure how to feel about his mother's comment. "I understand that but…_She's_ what's been missing. What I needed to figure out – it was that I needed her. I need Chloe. And I'm going to go and get her."

Jim shot off toward the market, slowly climbing into the air, leaving his mother standing in front of the Benbow Inn. Sarah sighed before heading back inside to call the police. She understood that her son cared for Chloe and wanted her to stay with them, but she also knew that Chloe's father was her keeper. She had no choice in the matter.

Meanwhile, Chloe regained consciousness. Her head throbbed and she was sure her forehead had a large goose egg on it. She groaned and rolled over; she was lying on a hard wooden floor. There was light pouring in on her in little squares. She was vaguely aware that she was inside a ship, more than likely in the brig.

Chloe forced herself to her knees before looking around the room she was in. It was large, with a single door, which had a small window with bars. She shook her head slightly, and then suddenly…she _remembered_.

Everything in her life came flooding back to her: growing up on her father's many ships, never really having a stable home on a planet. Fights with her three older sisters, the closeness she felt toward her twin sister Vanessa. Her days of learning 'inappropriate things' from the ship workers: how to fight, how to shoot a gun, how to run a ship.

Her name. Chloe suddenly knew that Chloe wasn't her name at all. She was Vivian. Vivian Kim Alexis Janele Alders, youngest daughter of Lord Kimball Alders and his wife Lady Jane Alders.

And then Vivian remembered something that made her heart constrict painfully; her intended husband. A foul man old enough to be her father. Lord Thomas Randall. Vivian had to fight the urge to be sick. Images of that despicable man who treated stray dogs better than women; the image of Randall hitting a small girl across the face. Vivian choked back a sob. "Jim," she muttered.

And then she realized: she needed to get out and go back to Jim. Vivian pushed herself to her feet and ran to the door, wrapping her hands around the bars in the window as she looked out. There was a man leaning on the wall to the right of the door. "Hey," Vivian said, her voice rough. She cleared her throat as the man straightened.

She looked him up and down. He was a bit taller than her and stocky; it would be pretty easy to knock him over in a fight. Vivian smiled slightly; her mother would faint if she knew her youngest daughter was about to pick a fight with a grown man. "I've got a question for you," she said. She picked her mind for something simple that was sure to tick the man off. Her smile widened when she remembered a story that Dr. Doppler had told her . It was oddly fitting. The man's head _was_ rather small. "Is it that your body is to massive for you teeny-tiny head, or is that your head is teeny-tiny for you humongous body?"

The man scowled at her. "What did you just say to me?"

Vivian laughed. "Apparently you're stupid too," she said, a dark smirk spreading across her face.

The man inhaled angrily. "Why I outta! I outta come in there and teach you some manners!"

Vivian beckoned to him with her index finger. "C'mon in big boy…if you're man enough, that is."

Her plan was working so far; the man huffed angrily, grabbing a set of keys from his belt. He walked to the door and Vivian backed up slightly. The door's hinges were on her side, so braced her hands against the door and waited. The lock clicked and the man pushed the door open just enough to slip his body inside. _Perfect._ Vivian shoved the door as he was sliding into the room; he grunted as he was squished between the door and the door frame. Vivian shoved again, this time throwing all of her weight into it and holding.

The man reached out at her, but Vivian was out of the reach of his short arms. She pressed more weight into the door, squeezing more air out of him. She held until his eyes lulled closed; when she pulled back from the door, he fell to the ground, unconscious. But she knew it wouldn't be long before he woke up. Vivian worked quickly, dragging the man into the brig, taking the keys out of his chubby hands and the gun from his belt.

She walked out the brig as silently as she could, not wanting to attract attention to herself. She pulled the door closed behind herself and locked it before looking around. There was a stair case going up on her left; she assumed that would be her ticket to the deck. Vivian nodded to herself, readying the pistol she had just stolen before running toward the staircase.

Jim, meanwhile, had flown over just about every deck docked with a fifty mile radius of the market. He assumed that Silver's ship wouldn't have been far from the site of the kidnapping, but he realized that he might have assumed wrong. "C'mon Chloe, where are you?" He asked as he flied lower, looking over the decks of several ships for any sign of Chloe or Silver.

Vivian managed to make her way to the main deck without running into anyone else. Once she was on deck; that was a different story. There were three men; a tall and lanky guy with red hair and freckles, a short and stocky guy who could have been her guards' brother, and Silver, his cyborg eyes landing on her.

She bolted toward the ramp leading to the dock, gun poised in her hand, and ready to shoot anyone who got too close. Vivian watched as the men attempted to close in on her as she ran. She shot a quick glance to the ramp; bad move. The taller man jumped on her, tackling her to the ground. She cried out in frustration, landing on her back and shooting the pistol into the air.

Jim had just begun to notice a commotion on the deck of the ship he was flying above when he heard a woman cry out. A gun went off. "Chloe!" He forced the solar surfer into a nose dive toward the deck, pulling out just in time to land roughly on the deck of the ship. He jumped off the surfer and pulled his gun from the back of his pants, aiming it at Silver, who was watching Chloe and a red headed man wrestle. "Silver!"

The cyborg turned to see Jim pointing a gun at him. "Jimbo! W'at are ye doin' 'ere, lad?"

Jim cocked the gun, casting a quick look to Chloe to make sure she was alright. She had pistol whipped her attacker, who quickly crawled away. "I'm taking her back home, and you're going to leave us alone," he said, keeping Silver in line with his gun.

Silver sighed, holding both hands up in surrender. "Lad, ye don' understand. I's gotta do t'is. Returnin' Vivian te 'er family will clear me name fer good."

Chloe (Vivian?) leapt up from the floor and ran to Jim, her gun pointed at the other man on deck. He was standing to their left; Chloe kept her back toward Jim's side. "Vivian's father, 'e's gots power, ye see. 'e swore t'at if I brought 'er home, 'e'd make t'e warrants fer me disappear. I'd be a free man Jimbo; no more hidin', no more runnin'."

Jim breathed heavily, debating with himself. He drew in a breath to speak, but Chloe began to speak first. "Send word to my father; tell him that you've located me, but I don't know who I am. Tell him to come here himself. I'll make sure the warrants for your arrest disappear. Just let me and Jim go."

Silver sighed heavily. "W'at exactly am I te do till they're gone?"

Chloe nodded to the old cyborg. "Hide out in the Coral Galaxy; it's a sanctuary for wanted men."

Silver shook his head and rubbed his eyes in defeat. "Lass, I'm sorry. I jus-"

Chloe suddenly pointed her gun at Silver, a dark glare in her eyes. "I could just shoot you; you'd be a free man then. Dead, but free." Jim cast her a look; he had never seen this side of her. "I _will not_ go back to marry that filthy son of pig, and I'm sure as hell not going to let you take me."

Silver held his hands out again, slightly fearful that the young woman would shoot him. "Ye swear you'll speak wit yer father?"

Chloe nudged Jim, nodding her head in the direction of the solar surfer. Jim began backing toward it, his gun still on Silver. "I swear," she said. Jim put his gun away, stepping onto the surfer. He maneuvered Chloe onto the board, between the solar sail and his body. She kept her gun on Silver over Jim's shoulder. "I swear," she said. Jim kicked the board to life and they hovered just above the surface of the deck. "I'll make sure you're a free man. Maybe in the future we'll be able to be friends."

Silver nodded to her. "I 'ope ye can fergive an ol' man."

Chloe nodded before looking toward Jim. "Let's go."

They shot off; Chloe kept the gun on Silver and his ship mate until they were well out of shooting range. She finally threw it off into space before looking to Jim as he maneuvered the solar surfer. "You came for me," she said, sounding more like her old self.

Jim nodded, glancing at her before returning his eyes to his flight path. "I…couldn't just let them take you away. I hope you don't mind being stuck with me," he added with a small smile.

Chloe laughed a little before wrapping her arms around Jim's waist in a hug and to have something to hold onto as he flew. "Not in the least."

Just then, the wail of sirens came up behind him. Two robot cops were flying behind them. "_Now_ they show up," Jim said darkly. He sped up the solar surfer because the cops were riding his tail.

Chloe looked to the robots and held her hand out as she tried to call out. "It's alright, Jim's got me!"

What she didn't know was that the cops had noticed the gun tucked into the back of Jim's pants; they had been told that a young woman, matching Chloe's description (because it was Chloe), had been kidnapped. They – being robots- scanned Jim over, receiving a list of his prior offenses. They thought they had their kidnapper, so they began to give chase.

The cops sped up; Jim sped up too. "What the hell are they doing?" He growled as he tried to maneuver sharp turns through the market with the cops riding his ass. There was one last turn before they would be out of the market and they would have a straight shot to the Benbow. Jim leaned the solar surfer into the turn, but knew the second he did that he wasn't going to be able to keep control.

He cursed and made a snap decision to let go of the board. Jim quickly released the handle bar of the solar surfer and wrapped his arms around Chloe as they were sent flying to the ground. They hit the ground hard, Jim on his right side and Chloe on her left. The couple skidded several yards on the packed earth. Jim's head met a rock along the way and stars appeared before his eyes.

He was vaguely aware that he had stopped moving. Then he could hear the police landing near them, their sirens still wailing. The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Chloe yelling at the police officers, telling them that Jim had saved her. Then his world went black.

**Woo, I was determined to finish this one before bed. I really hope you liked it. I hate that Jim got knocked out, but that's just how things have to be for now. Don't worry, he's going to be okay, I swear.**

**R&R and I'll see you all again soon! XXOO~BBTM**


	9. Do You Trust Me?

_There's plenty of people who think that what I did next was rash but it was the best idea I had at the time…I got lucky, I guess. Everything turned out good in the end, didn't it?_

"Should be fine…in a few days…"

"Don't worry…strong…be okay…"

Jim floated in and out of blackness for a while. Nothing hurt; not physically at least. When sentences began stringing together, making sense, they broke his heart. He could hear his mom talking to him. "Jim, I need you to wake up, okay?"

Was he asleep? If he was, why couldn't he wake up? Jim didn't understand.

He could hear Chloe; she was there all the time, talking to him. "Jim, please be okay. Why have you been asleep for so long?"

As Jim floated closer to the surface, he could feel pain; his head, neck and right shoulder throbbed. He groaned. "Jim?" His mom was there, speaking to him in a soft whisper. Jim forced his eyes open; he was in his bedroom, lying on the bed as early morning light poured in through the window. The sun was just rising. His mother stood over him, her face tight and tired with worry. She sighed when her son's eyes settled on her. "Oh, Jim, welcome back."

Jim groaned again; his head was killing him. "What happened?"

Sarah sighed, gently resting a hand on his forehead, checking for a fever. "After you saved Vivian from her kidnappers, you were chased by the police. They thought that _you_ had kidnapped her; you lost control of that death trap board and the two of you fell off-"

"Wait, where's Chloe?" Jim jumped up, but cringed as his shoulder and neck protested.

Sarah rushed to push her son back down, shushing him as she did. "She's fine, just some scrapes and bruises. Just look," she said, indicating to the foot of Jim's bed. He rolled his head to the right, not wanting to try and lift it again, for fear of bringing back that splitting pain. Rolling it wasn't very comfortable either, but it was the lesser of the two evils.

Jim glanced down at the foot of his bed; Chloe was there, her upper body resting on the space just below his feet, her right arm under her head like a pillow, her left arm resting in front of her face. Her legs were folded under her mid section in a chair that was pulled up against the bed. Jim saw that her left arm and leg were bandaged; he also saw that she was sound asleep.

"She hasn't left your side since the doctor let her in," Sarah whispered, walking toward Chloe's sleeping form quietly. She pulled a blanket off the foot board of the bed and draped it across the girl's shoulders. "I think this is the first time she's been asleep in three days."

"Three days?" Jim asked, his voice rough from lack of use. "How long have I been-?"

"Today's day four since the…incident," Sarah said, walking back to her son's side. She gently brushed his bangs out of his face. "Apparently you're not as hard headed as we all originally thought."

Jim laughed a little, stretching some as he did. His shoulders cracked, relieving the tension in them. His movement shook the bed lightly, and Chloe stirred. She groaned, rubbing the back of her left hand across her face before opening her eyes. "Mrs. Hawkins..?" she asked sleepily, lifting her head off her arm pillow.

Sarah gave the girl a small wave before motioning to Jim. "Vivian, he's awake."

Chloe(Vivian?) stopped mid eye rub, her eyes jumping to Jim. When she saw that he was awake, her face was flooded with a beautiful look of relief. "Jim!" She stood quickly from her chair, knocking it to the ground before taking a step closer to him. The blanket hug loosely around her shoulders. "I'm so glad," she said. Jim saw that her eyes glistened lightly, but she quickly wiped them with the back of her left hand.

Jim nodded toward her, not trusting his ability to move his arms without ending up in pain. Sarah shook her head lightly, sliding her hands under Jim's left shoulder. "C'mon, let's try and get you upright."

Jim pushed with his arms as his mother helped him to sit up. He was grateful that it didn't hurt nearly as bad as he thought it would. Once he was upright, Sarah stood back from him, her hands on her hips. "Do you feel up to eating something?"

Jim thought for a moment, running his right hand through his hair; he could feel a large lump on his head from where he had hit the ground. He nodded, running his hand down his head and to his neck, which was sore and felt like it needed to be cracked. "Well, then I'll be back in a few minutes," Sarah said, turning to Chloe (Vivian?) before she left the room. "Keep an eye on him; make sure he doesn't try to escape."

Vivian (Chloe?) laughed as Mrs. Hawkins left the room, leaving the two young people alone. Vivian looked back to Jim after watching his mother leave. He had scooted back and was leaning against the head board, looking Vivian over as she stood before him. She was in a light brown long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up that was obviously not hers and a dark blue skirt that fell just below her knees. Her hair was loose and flowing down her back. Chloe( Vivian?) blushed lightly when she noticed Jim's gaze traveling up and down the length of her body. "I'm uh," she started, clearing her throat before continuing. "I'm really glad you're awake."

Jim sniffed, rubbing his eyes. When he dragged his hand across his face in his usual way, he noticed that he didn't have a shirt on; he was dressed in only a pair of black pants. Now it was his turn to blush, although his was lighter than Chloe's( Vivian's) had been. "Chloe, erm," Jim started, looking over her bandages while trying to decide what exactly he needed to call her.

"It's Vivian," she said, wringing her hands together. When Jim raised an eyebrow at her, she cleared her throat before walking toward the bed. She took a seat on the edge of it and then, after deciding if it was okay, rested her right hand on Jim's bare abdomen. "I…remember…everything."

Jim smiled. "Chloe…Viv-that's great! So you remember your family, your life before…"

Vivian gave an uncertain laugh mixed with a sigh as she cast her look down Jim's chest in an attempt to avoid his eyes. "Yes. I er…I remember why I ran away from home." She brought her gaze back up to meet Jim's. His eyes gave her a questioning look, wanting to know why she had run away and put herself in danger by traveling alone. "I'm…engaged to be married to an awful man. He's vile and…disgusting. He treats dogs better than people especially women. I ran away right after I met him, I…I watched him hit his little niece in the face. I couldn't just sit there and let myself be given to that monster!"

Vivian stood up and began pacing the room, running her hands through her hair. "Jim, I understand if you don't want me to stay here; I mean, my father's on his way, and if you don't want any trouble I'll leave, but….I just…I'll just have to run again; I refuse to go back to be forced to marry that…_that!_"

"Vivian!" Jim shouted to stop Vivian's rambling.

"What?" She shouted back, surprising both of them. She released a shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm just…" She walked back over to the bed, sitting on her knees beside it and pressing her face into the mattress. "Jim, I'm scared," she said, her voice muffled.

Jim leaned forward despite his protesting muscles and gently set his right hand on her back. "What can I do?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"I don't know!" Vivian said, half exasperated and half frantic as she brought her head back up. "Until I'm married, my father owns me; he tells me where to go and what to do. He wants me to marry Lord Randall because it will gain him more lands! I can't go against him. I'll be in enough trouble when he gets here. Refusing to get married is sure to get me… hanged or something! Until I'm married, my destiny is in his hands; after that it passes to my husband, which is an even more frightening prospect."

Jim reached and gently brushed a few strands of hair out of Vivian's face as he thought. Her destiny was determined by her father until she was married. Then it was determined by her husband.

Husband…

"Husband!" Jim said, suddenly coming up with a solution to their problem. "Vivian…you belong to your father till you're married, right?"

Vivian nodded a little, straightening as she sat on her knees. She raised an eyebrow as a smile spread across Jim's face. "Jim…what are you thinking?"

Jim suddenly swung his feet to the floor, yelping slightly when his bare feet came in contact with the cold floor. "We need to go see Captain Amelia," he said, pushing himself to his feet. He was a little wobbly from having been in bed so long; Vivian jumped to her feet, steadying him with her arms around his torso. Jim looked down at her, a faint smile on his lips. "Go get dressed in something nice."

"Jim, what are you-?"

"Vivian, I know what you need to do to keep from having to marry that guy," Jim said, hobbling around the room, looking for his military best dress uniform pieces. They had been scattered between his closet, clothing trunk and the bag he still had beside the door. "You've got to get married."

Vivian moved in front of Jim, placing both of her hands on his bare chest. "Jim, first of all, you shouldn't be up and about yet, and second of all…" she paused when she grasped his idea. "That's actually a really good idea, but who on Montressor would want to marry me to keep me out of an unwanted marriage? There are no 'take back'sies in marriage! They can't just save me and then get unmarried to me!"

Jim wrapped his hands around Vivian's wrists, gently pulling her hands off of his chest. "I know that Viv," he said, stooping down slightly to look into her eyes. "I know this is crazy, but this is the only thing that's bound to work. If you're married, you belong to your husband."

"_I know that!_" Vivian sighed in exasperation, shaking her head before looking up into Jim's blue eyes again. "That's part of the problem!"

Jim released Vivian's right wrist, using both of his hands to hold her left hand. "No, it's going to be part of the solution. Vivian, if you get married, then your father won't be able to force you to go through with your arranged marriage."

Vivian rubbed her eyes in frustration with her right hand. "I. Know! There's just one problem with your plan Jim: There needs to be a _groom___for there to be a marriage! And he kind of has to _want_ to marry me!"

Now it was Jim's turn to get exasperated. "Don't you get what I'm trying to tell you? _I'm_ going to marry you!"

The look Vivian gave him was hard to describe; it was an odd mix between disbelief, bewilderment, joy and confusion. "Jim…I think you need to lie back down. You're…you're saying things that…"Vivian began stuttering as she tried to push Jim back toward his bed.

Jim took hold of Vivian's chin with his left hand. "Viv, do you trust me?"

Vivian stared up at Jim, blinking as she tried to comprehend what exactly was happening. "Yes, of course, with my life, but Jim, I-"

Jim kissed her lips quickly; when he pulled away, he held her face close to his. "Do…you…trust me?"

Vivian released a breath as she looking into Jim's blue eyes. She nodded, replying with a breathy, "Yes."

Jim pulled away from her before gently pushing her toward the door. "Then go and get dressed in the nicest thing you can find. We're going to go to Captain Amelia and get her to marry us."

Vivian gave a breathy laugh mixed with an exhale as she stood in the doorway. "I can't believe we're doing this," she said. Jim began moving around his room, his legs firmer than before, searching for his best dress. "What about your mom?"

Jim froze as he reached into his closet. He hadn't thought about what Sarah Hawkins would say or do. He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. "I'll talk to her," he said, turning to face Vivian as she stood in the door way. "I'll go talk to her now. Go get dressed."

As Jim started out of the room, Vivian grabbed his arm. "Are you sure about this?"

She glanced up into Jim's eyes, searching them for the answer. He smiled back, stooping to kiss her forehead before nodding. "It might seem crazy and reckless, but…I know it's the right thing to do."

Vivian smiled, releasing his arm and quickly walking down to her room and closing the door. Jim moved quickly, walking down to the stairs and descending them with relatively amazing speed considering he had only a short time before hand been unconscious in bed. It was too early for guests to be up, so the dining room was empty. Jim could hear his mother in the kitchen.

Jim burst into the room, not really thinking his next statement through all the way. "Mom, Vivian and I are getting married. Today."

Sarah dropped the plate she had been holding; it fell to the ground and shattered. "What?" Sarah walked up to her son, pressing a hand on his forehead. When she found that he didn't have a fever, she looked into his eyes. "Jim, what's going on?"

Jim turned and walked out of the kitchen, his mother on his heels, explaining his plan to her. By the time he had finished explaining things to her, they were standing in his room as Jim moved around, dressing in the most formal military uniform he could find. Blue pants, black dress shirt, blue jacket and black boots. Sarah was shaking her head. "Jim, I love you… I really do…But I think you've finally lost your mind!"

Jim scoffed as he checked his appearance in the small mirror he had hanging beside his closet. "Mom, I know it sounds crazy but…it's the right thing to do."

Sarah put her hands on her hips. "Jim, you're about to get a quickie marriage to a girl you've known for a _month!_ And if you really want to get technical, you haven't really known her seeing as she didn't even know who she was!"

Jim walked out of his room and toward Vivian's bedroom door. "Mom, I really hate to say this, but I'm doing this whether you like it or not." Jim knocked on the door, waiting until Vivian invited him inside before he opened it. He found her standing in front of her bed wearing a very formal black dress. Jim raised an eyebrow at her. "Black?"

Vivian gave him an apologetic look. "It's the nicest thing I have. I'm sorry."

Jim shook his head. "No, it's perfect; you look beautiful." She did look beautiful. The black dress had long lace sleeves, a tight fitting bodice, and a long skirt which trailed the floor behind her. The neck line was a slight 'v', accentuating Vivian's erm….bosom very nicely. Jim stepped into the room as Vivian began braiding her hair. "You ready to go?"

"Oh no you don't!" Jim had almost forgotten that his mother had followed him into Vivian's room. "As much as I don't like this plan," Sarah said, walking into the room and pausing to look up at her son. "I can see there's no changing your mind. And no son of mine is going to marry someone who is dressed in black. C'mon Vivian; you can wear my wedding dress."

Sarah gently took Vivian's arm and began leading the young woman out of the room. "Jim, I want you send B.E.N. to go and get Amelia; have her and Delbert come to the inn. Then I want you to _stay down stairs_. You're not allowed to see Vivian until the…ceremony. If you want to call it that. Now c'mon Vivian. We've got to get you dressed."

As Sarah pulled Vivian out of the room, the young woman looked at Jim, a small smile on her face. Jim smiled back, suddenly nervous. Part of him thought he was dreaming; how could something like this seem to be working out for the best? He wasn't sure. What he was sure of was that he needed the Captain to get to the inn as soon as possible. Jim ran down the stairs to find B.E.N.

**Woo! Because my readers are so awesome, I decided to update ahead of schedule! I really hope that you liked this chapter; I love it! The whole, 'yeah, I like you, and you know this will be better for you in the end, so will you marry me' thing is just…happy making!**

**R&R and I will try and get more to you soon! I love you guys! You're reviews and comments are wonderful; I'm always excited to post a chapter to see if you all will like it!**

**Enjoy! Until Next Time! XXOO~BBTM**


	10. Preperations and Then A Wedding

_I was nervous while I waited. I wanted everything to turn out okay…but more than anything, I wanted to make sure Vivian was happy. I knew she would be happy to be safe from her arranged marriage…but would it be possible for her to be happy with me? And would I be happy with her? I mean, we were about to do something that we couldn't take back._

Jim sat at the kitchen table, his foot jiggling up and down and his index finger tapping the rough wood. B.E.N. was back, cooking breakfast for the guests who had started waking up and coming down for food. Dr. Doppler was sitting across from him, little Albert in his lap. "Jim," the doctor started. Jim glanced up at his old family friend. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

Jim stopped tapping the table and raised his hand to his face, rubbing his chin and dragging his fingers across his lips before letting his hand drop to the table again. "I'm sure," he said, starting up his nervous tapping."I want to make sure Vivian's safe…this was the only thing I could think of that would make it to where her father couldn't force her to get married to someone she hated."

Delbert nodded as Albert snuggled into his father's chest. "Well," the doctor sighed, taking his glasses off and wiping them with a cloth he pulled from his pocket. He maneuvered around his son who was starting to doze off in his arms. "I think this is very…I suppose brave of you; Taking on something as…difficult as marriage to help your friend."

"She's more than my friend," Jim said suddenly. Delbert raised an eyebrow at him as he placed his glasses back on his nose. Jim stopped tapping again and pulled his hand up to his neck, rubbing it as he sighed. "I…really care about her, Doc. Maybe it's more than I should, seeing as we've only known each other a month, but…" Jim groaned, dropping his hand to the table and tapping again.

Delbert smiled softly at the young man, tapping the table lightly with his own hand to get Jim's attention. "I understand…and don't worry. I'm sure everything will be okay. You'll see."

Jim sighed before giving the doctor a small smile as he continued to provide percussion background music for the kitchen.

Meanwhile, upstairs in Mrs. Hawkins' bedroom, Vivian was sitting on a short stool in front of a makeup table, her foot jiggling up and down uncontrollably. Amelia and her three daughters had come up, and the captain was currently trying to get her girls to stop jumping on Mrs. Hawkins' large bed. Sarah had vanished from the room several moments before, searching for the box that her wedding dress in it, which had been packed somewhere.

"Vivian, if you don't stop fidgeting, I'm going to tie you down," Amelia said, pushing Bertha's shoulder gently to make the small child sit down. She did, but she pouted at her mother, her arms crossed and her bottom lip sticking out.

Vivian huffed out a breath through her mouth as she unbraided her hair and began finger combing it. "I'm sorry, I'm just…"

"I understand," Amelia said, walking over to the young woman and resting a hand on her shoulder.

Amelia opened her mouth to speak again, but Sarah came bursting through the door, a large box in her hand. "Finally found it!" She said, exasperated but happy. "It got shoved into the corner of the attic after we moved back in-"

"Wait, Jim told me that the original Benbow burned to the ground when he was younger," Vivian said, turning in her seat to watch Sarah set the box on the bed, pushing Amelia's three daughters gently out of the way. The girls scurried to the head of the bed, sitting on the pillows and watching in awe as Sarah opened the box. "How did the dress survive the fire?"

"I had, luckily, asked Delbert to hold several boxes of mine and Jim's things," Sarah said, unfolding some tissue paper inside the large box. It was flat, almost like a large gift box one would use to wrap clothing in before presenting it to someone. "I had been going through the attic, getting rid some old things, and decided it was time to rearrange. Problem was, I didn't have room to put things so I _could _rearrange. Delbert offered some of his attic space."

Vivian nodded slightly. "Oh," she said, twisting her hair between her hands.

Sarah smiled to Vivian. "Nervous?" she asked as she began pulling the dress from the box.

"Yeah, I suppose, but…I'm worried. I mean, Jim…he doesn't have to do this. I mean…he's going to be stuck with me…I mean, I appreciate what he's doing, but I hate to think that-"

"Vivian, you're rambling," Amelia said, squeezing the young woman's shoulder gently.

Vivian gave an exasperated sigh; she had so many conflicting feeling about the situation she was in. She was happy – who wouldn't be happy about marrying Jim? He was a wonderful man: attractive, intelligent, with a wonderful sense of humor. Jim was her best friend, and she loved him; possibly more than one should love their best friend. Vivian also couldn't help but be happy about what her marriage to Jim would mean. She would be safe from her father and her arranged marriage to Lord Randall.

But she was also worried; she didn't want Jim to do something he might regret. She was a firm believer in 'til death do us part; like she had said earlier – there were no take backies in marriage. She believed you were in it for life. Vivian didn't want Jim to be forcibly tied to her till death did they part. What if he wasn't happy with her?

Vivian shook her head, watching Sarah pull the dress from the box; she cast her gaze to the ground. She wondered why they were going through all the ceremony of a wedding; all they really had to do was sign a paper in secret and then the deed would be done. Then again, she did like the idea of being able to wear a wedding dress.

Once she saw Sarah's wedding dress, Vivian was _very_ glad to be able to wear a wedding dress. Sarah held the dress up in front of herself, and Vivian felt her jaw drop. The dress was a beautiful gown of white with a fitted bodice and a ball gown type skirt. It was embroidered with flowers along the hems and layers of the skirt; it also had a large 'W' neck line and white lace sleeves, which would hang lightly off of the shoulders when worn.

Sarah laughed a little at Vivian's awed expression. "Well, here it is," she said, holding the dress out at arm's length to the young woman. "Would you like to wear it?"

Vivian stood from the stool and Amelia dropped her hand from the young woman's shoulder. Vivian crossed the room and gently ran her fingers along a layer that wrapped around the left hip of the skirt and fell open onto more white fabric. "Oh, Sarah, could I please?" Vivian looked up at the older woman, barley able to breathe. "It's so beautiful."

Sarah laughed again. "Well, then let's get you in it and all dolled up."

**XD XD XD**

An hour had passed; Jim had waited nervously, tapping on the table the majority of the time. B.E.N. roped him into helping deliver food to the guests; once they all had their food, Jim took to pacing around in front of the window beside the front door. He had his hands clasped together behind his back as he walked to and fro, occasionally glancing out the front window. The fact that Vivian's father was on his way there weighted heavily on Jim's mind. How soon would he get there? Would he bring Vivian's arranged fiancé with him? Could the man fire a gun? Should Jim purchase life insurance?

Finally, much to Jim's relief, Captain Amelia came down the stairs, her three daughters in tow. The girls squealed happily when they saw Jim and they all ran to glomp his ankles. The three toddlers had enough force to make Jim sway as he looked toward their mother. "Are they coming down yet?"

The captain, wearing her standard uniform nodded to Jim. "They will be down in a few moments. Where's Delbert? He has the certificate."

Jim pointed toward the kitchen, where Delbert was still holding a sleeping Albert. Amelia headed that way, leaving Jim with three very hyper, very talkative young girls. "Uncie Jimmy! Uncie Jimmy!" Bertha, the brunette girl said, jumping up and down as she hugged Jim's left calf.

Jim looked to her to respond, but was interrupted by her blonde sister Clara. "Vivi looks real pretty!"

Jim smiled and tried to speak, but was interrupted once again, this time by Phoebe, the red head. "Is she gonna be our auntie?"

Jim shook his head as his smile widened; talk about the ultimate form of birth control. Being badgered by small children would make anyone not want to have them. But they were so cute, you couldn't help but grin at them. A thought just occurred to Jim: _would_ he and Vivian have children? Would they be…intimate?

Jim shook his head again, this time to try and clear his thoughts. He would just have to worry about all that later, when he and Vivian could talk. As the girls continued to jabber away at Jim's feet, their mother came walking out of the kitchen, a piece of paper in her hand. "Now, I want you three to go into the kitchen with your father and brother; hop to it, please."

The girls pouted, but knew better than to disobey their mother; they quickly released Jim and bid him goodbye before disappearing into the kitchen. Amelia walked over to a table to Jim's right, which happened to be empty. "Mr. Hawkins, I need you to come look this over please."

The captain laid the paper out flat for Jim to examine; it was a marriage certificate. Across the top, written in the captain's beautiful script were the words 'Certificate of Marriage'. Below that were the words 'Let it be known by all present that', followed by an open space, which Jim assumed was for his and Vivian's names. Next were the words 'Were united in holy matrimony/In the sight of God and according to the laws of the Etherium/Officiated this day by'; Amelia had already filled out her full name, as well as the date. There were two signature lines at the bottom, one labeled 'bride' the other one labeled 'groom'.

The captain had gotten a pen somewhere and handed it to Jim. "If you could fill out your name and Vivian's please," she said. As Jim took the pen she said, "I'll bring them down in a moment."

As Amelia disappeared, Jim stared down at the page, pen in hand. He quickly printed his full name and then attempted to try and spell out Vivian's full name. He grimaced at his poor attempt, but was pulled from his spelling pity party when he heard the guests suddenly fall silent.

Jim turned to look up the stairs, and dropped the pen he was holding. His mother was leading Vivian down the stairs by her arm; Vivian was wearing a very beautiful dress. Had it really been his mother's? His thoughts became as jumbled up as his words would have, had he been speaking.

Amelia led the way down the stairs, walking to stand in front of the window beside the front door. She cleared her throat, getting the attention of the inn guests. "Ladies and gentleman, it is my great honor to announce that you all are about to be witness to the wedding of Mr. Hawkins and Miss Alders."

There was an excited murmur that passed through the dining room. Amelia cleared her throat again, this time at Jim, motioning him to come over. Sarah had managed to pull Vivian all the way down the stairs; the young woman's hair was pulled up on top of her head in a pony tail, the end of it curled slightly. Her bangs were swooped across her forehead; Jim saw that she had light makeup on her face. She was…

"Wow," he breathed as Vivian came to stand before him, Sarah standing just behind her. Vivian gave a breathy giggle and cast her eyes to the ground before slowly bringing them back up to Jim's.

Amelia officiated the ceremony; Jim and Vivian repeated what needed to be repeated, 'I do'-ed when they needed to. Luckily, Amelia noticed that there were no rings for the couple to exchange, so she discreetly omitted any lines pertaining to it. At last, Amelia led the couple to the table where their marriage certificate lay. They signed their names, first Vivian, and then Jim.

The couple looked into each other's eyes as Amelia closed the ceremony. "By the power vested in me by the Interstellar Militia, I now pronounce you man and wife. Mr. Hawkins, you may kiss the bride."

The guests who watched the entire ceremony clapped; some whistled, others cheered. Jim put his left hand on Vivian's cheek and gently kissed her lips. Vivian let her eyes drift closed as she kissed her husband; her heart went into over drive. What she didn't know what that Jim's did too.

**O…M…G…I didn't think I was going to make it. I really wanted to get this up before I kind of fell off the face of the planet for the next two and a half weeks. I'm taking a summer class, which wraps up pretty quick, so don't worry! I just ask for understanding concerning my absence. This class is a major requirement for my degree, so I have to take it.**

**I also figured you all would want to see Jim and Vivian's wedding…and I've got a surprise for you: there will be a better, bigger, awesome-r ceremony later in the story! Yay ness! I can't wait to write it.**

**Also (and I'm ashamed to say this) but there is a major possibility that there might me a lemon involved eventually. There doesn't have to be (trust me, I'm a wiz at editing), but I just wanted to let you guys know that that was a possibility. If I **_**do**_** put in the lemon scene, could I get someone to proof read it and check for awkward turtles? It would be greatly appreciated and I would make sure you give you a kitty (or some other small fuzzy creature that is really cute).**

**So yeah, R&R and I will see you as soon as I can!**

**Until next time!~BBTM**


	11. Two Days

**Muhahahahahahahahahaha! *bug flies into mouth and down throat* *Cough cough***

**Yes, dear readers, I have returned! My class hasn't finished yet, but I've completed all my work for it, so I can now return to my duty of providing you all with entertainment.**

**So, I couldn't decided which story to update first, but I've decided on this one because…well, just 'cause. After this posting, however, I'm going to try and finish writing everything I've started before updating again. I hope to have everything finished and posted by August at the latest. Then I'll be able to begin work on my many other fic ideas! **

**But anyway, enough of that! Be sure to Review after you read! **

**And now, on with the show! ...er… Story! On with the Story!**

_I would have liked for things to have calmed down a bit after all that excitement, but…I wasn't so lucky._

It was noon by the time all the excitement in the Benbow had quieted and Jim and Vivian could get away. Vivian disappeared into her room for several moments, while Jim went into his. He assumed that it would become theirs…someday… Only if Vivian was comfortable with it of course.

Jim looked around his room; it was a mess. How had Vivian been able to stand staying with him in his pigsty of a room? Jim shook his head, closing the door behind him quietly. He opted to change out of his military best dress before cleaning up. He looked inside the clothing trunk that was at the foot of his bed and smiled at what he found.

Sitting in the trunk were a pair of black trousers, a long sleeved brown shirt, black and red boots – the clothes he had worn when he was fifteen on his voyage to Treasure Planet. Jim laughed a little as he reached into the trunk and pulled the old clothes out. "I wonder…" he said, holding the pants up in front of himself. He laughed again when he saw that they landed half way down his calves. He shook his head as he refolded the pants and tucked them away into the trunk. "So much for recapturing my youth."

Jim moved around the room, picking up discarded clothing, separating the clean clothes from the dirty. He did manage to find himself a pair of dark brown pants that were the appropriate length, as well as a long sleeved white shirt. He changed quickly before he began putting away his clean clothes.

After some time, when Jim had almost finished hanging his clean clothes in the closet, there was a soft knock at his door. "Yeah?" He asked as he closed his closet door. The door cracked open and Vivian's head came into view around the door. "Oh," Jim started. He wasn't entirely sure how to address her; they were married after all. How exactly did married people speak to one another? "Hey."

Vivian gave a small smile and opened the door wider, stepping into Jim's room. She wasn't in the wedding dress anymore. Now, she wore a simple green dress; her hair was still done up in the pony tail it had been in for the ceremony. "Hey," she said. Her dress had pockets sewn into the sides; she put her hands inside as she looked Jim over. "Look, I uh…"

"You look good," Jim said suddenly. It was the truth. The green of her dress brought out the brilliant green of her eyes. When Vivian gave him a questioning look, Jim blushed slightly at his outburst before motioning toward her dress. "That color…it looks good on you. It brings out your eyes.

Vivian reached up and began playing with the end of her pony tail which hung down over her shoulder, stopping just at her chest. "Thank you," she said, her face reddening slightly. "Look, Jim I've got something I want to talk to you about."

Jim nodded, motioning toward the bed. Vivian nodded, walking over and taking a seat on the mattress. Jim picked up the chair that Vivian had knocked over earlier that day and took a seat. "What's up?" He asked, straddling the back of the chair and resting his upper arms on the back.

Vivian took a deep breath and cleared her throat slightly before speaking. "I um…you remember this morning how I told you that…that my father was on his way here?" When Jim nodded, Vivian glanced down at her hands. Jim noticed that they were clutched together, fingers laced and tight with worry. "Well, I…He's going to be here with Randall in two days."

Jim jumped slightly when he realized what she had said. "Wait, what? Two days?"

Vivian's face became a mask of worry as she addressed Jim. "I'm sorry; I got a message from him last night. Silver must have found him and told him where I was. Father sent a messenger ahead and he got here last night. He told me that my father and Lord Randall would be here as early as the day after tomorrow. I just…though you ought to know."

She released a shaky breath as she waited for Jim to respond. The young man gave a huff of a laugh before reaching out and cupping Vivian's cheek with his right hand. "Don't worry," he said to her. "When they get here, they won't be able to do anything. You're my wife, remember?"

Vivian smiled slightly, giving a relieved sounding chuckle. "Thank you," she said. Her eyes drifted closed as she leaned into his touch slightly.

Jim smiled slightly at the beautiful woman before him. "Viv," he started. She opened her eyes and met his gaze. "I just wanted to um…well, I understand if you don't want to, since everything has been kind of sudden, but…"

Jim pulled his hand back, letting it fall onto hers as they rested on her lap, more relaxed than before. "If you would like to… move into my room, you're more than welcome. I-I mean, I won't pressure you into anything you don't want, but I was just…I don't know, I guess I'm a traditionalist. I think a…a husband and wife should be together. Wait, not necessarily _together_ together, if you know what I mean, but I-"

Jim was cut off when Vivian suddenly stood, stooping over and kissing him on the lips. When she pulled away, she gently touched his cheek with the tips of her fingers. "Jim, you are a wonderful man. Maybe someday, when we're both ready, we'll be…_'together_ together'. But until then, I would love to move in here with you."

Jim smiled slightly as Vivian sat back down on his bed, holding one of his hands between his own. She was gazing down at them as she played with his fingers slightly. "So," she said finally after a long yet comfortable pause. "What now?"

Jim squeezed her fingers gently. "Well, we've got two days to get the 'love sick married couple' thing completely down." Jim smiled as Vivian laughed a little. "Why don't we get to work perfecting it?"

Vivian looked up at Jim, a smile lighting up her beautiful face. "It won't be that hard…not for me at least."

Jim's smile toned down to a pleased and pleasant smirk. "Me either."

**AWWWW! Aren't they just the cutest?**

**Don't worry; there will be more coming as soon as I can manage! I swear! R&R!**

**Until next time! ~BBTM**


	12. Love and Be Loved In Return

_Two days flew by._

Jim was surprised at how easy it was, being married to Vivian. He was fairly certain that traditional marriages were nothing like his union with Vivian. They spent the two days it took for her father and intended fiancé to arrive talking about themselves ; their lives before meeting each other, their families, everything- both deeply though provoking to completely random – they could possibly think of.

Vivian loved hearing about Jim's misadventures during his rebellious years – about skipping school to ride solar surfers, getting arrested for being caught. "You probably drove your poor mother up the wall!" Vivian laughed half way though day one. The couple was strolling through the market at Sarah's insistence.

"Go out and have some fun," Sarah had said, pushing Jim and Vivian out of the front door just after they had finished moving Vivian's things into Jim's room. "Get to know you wife." She winked at her son as the door closed.

Jim nodded in response to Vivian as she laughed. "Yeah," he started, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess I did."

Vivian swept in front of Jim, forcing him to stop walking. She fixed him with a playfully stern glare. "Well, shame on you James Hawkins!" She poked his chest with her index finger, emphasizing his first and last name as she said them.

Jim took hold of her hand, mimicking her glare. "Well, what about you, Miss Runaway?"

Vivian's glare softened as she looked up at Jim. "I'll have you know, _Mr. Hawkins_ that I am not a run away. I…am an escape artist!" She made a grand gesture over her head with her free hand.

Jim laughed as he weaved his fingers through Vivian's and they continued to walk, hand in hand, through the open air portion of the market. Just off the docks, venders set up their stands, selling everything from food to clothes to bizarre novelty items from all over the Etherium. The couple spent the afternoon strolling through the market, entertaining each other with tales from the past mixed with miniature adventures at the more interesting booths.

As they walked, Jim finally managed to ask Vivian about her family. "I mean, I know you and your father don't exactly see…eye to eye, but…"

Vivian squeezed Jim's fingers lightly. "My father doesn't like anyone, especially if they get between him and something he wants. I guess that since I've run away and gotten married, I'm public enemy number one now."

Jim ducked his head slightly to whisper in her ear. "Well, if it helps, _I_ still like you."

Vivian gazed up at Jim as they walked; she laughed lightly – a beautiful sound that Jim could listen to all day and never get bored with – before bumping his hip lightly with her own. "Thank you… anyway, my mother, she only married my father because _her_ father arranged it. Then there are my sisters. Catherine and Charlotte are just what father could have asked for in a set of identical daughters. They do as they're told, complying like good little mindless drones; I mean, they didn't even learn to read because father thinks that women have no business with it. Thank God their husbands had enough sense to get them tutored!"

Jim steered them toward a small picnic table that was set up in the space between two food booths. They sat down, leaning back against the table; Jim released Vivian's hand and gently put his arm around her shoulders. He could tell that talking about her family was aggravating, so he was doing his best to comfort her. "What about your other sister?"

Vivian sighed. "Vanessa is my best friend; we're fraternal twins. She's older by a few minutes, and she has never let me forget it." Vivian gave a small laugh before continuing. "There was this one time, we were on one of father's ships, and we were fighting about who would get to help Chloe in the kitchen, and she put her hands on her hips and said, 'I was born first, so that means I'm more mature than you, so I get to help and you don't!'." Vivian laughed again, but it was a sad sound.

She fell silent, and Jim squeezed her shoulders gently. "You okay?"

Vivian looked back up at Jim. "Vanessa got married when we were both fourteen and…her husband…he doesn't like her talking to anyone. I haven't been allowed to see her since our last family gathering when I was sixteen. That's what that picture is from; the one Silver had. I didn't want to be there, and my mother had to hold me down for the photo."

Vivian's gaze fell to the ground again. "None of them really understand me; with their senses of propriety and duty as nobility. They always acted like I was broken just because I wanted to make my own life for myself."

Jim squeezed her shoulders lightly once again before reaching his right hand across and taking a hold of hers. Vivian's lips turned up slightly as Jim spoke. "You're not broken; you're perfect just the way you are. You're funny, smart, and incredibly kind hearted and…" He paused for a moment before squeezing her fingers lightly. "And I love you."

Vivian jumped slightly at his words, looking up into his eyes quickly. Jim smiled at her warmly. "You've helped me out a lot, you know? I mean, before I met you, there was just…something that wasn't right. And now…" He trailed off, his gaze falling to their hands, resting on his left thigh.

Vivian gave a breathy laugh. "I know exactly what you mean. All my life, I've really just wanted someone to understand me; who I really am. Flaws and all." She put her hand on Jim's cheek and he pulled his eyes up to meet hers, his gaze traveling slowly up to her face.

He laughed a little, a smirk coming across his face. "I definitely don't see any of those," he said, releasing Vivian's hand and bringing his up to gently take hold of her chin between his thumb and forefinger. "None at all."

Jim leaned in and kissed her…deeply…slowly. The world seemed to fade around them, but at the same time, their senses came alive. Vivian's lips were soft against his, her hand warm on his face. He wanted to just drink in her beautifully warm presence.

Vivian felt her cheeks warm as Jim pulled her closer, his left arm still around her shoulders. A faint smile came across her lips as her eyes drifted closed and she deepened the wonderful kiss.

A few moments later, Jim pulled back reluctantly, looking Vivian's face over, taking in her red cheeks, straight nose and high cheek bones. He gave her a small smile before kissing her forehead. "Let's head back," he said, unwrapping his arms from around her and standing before offering her his hand.

Vivian stared at his hand a moment before taking it. As they began walking back toward the Benbow Inn, the first color changes of sunset were beginning to paint the sky. They walked in a comfortable silence until they began passing the lake. Vivian squeezed Jim's fingers before pulling him to follow her to the lake's edge. "Where it all started," she said softly as they looked at their reflections in the water.

Jim pulled his gaze from Vivian's reflection to her actual face; she had a sad yet determined look in her eyes as she gazed out across the lake. She pulled her left hand from his grip and pulled off the ring that was on her middle finger. The crystals caught the light as she held the ring lightly between her thumbs and forefingers, turning it slightly as she examined it. Vivian closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she closed her right hand into a tight fist around the ring. "I…am a free woman now. I am free to love who I want…and to be loved… In return!" Vivian shouted her last words as she reared her hand back and then threw the ring as far away as she could.

She stood panting slightly as she watched the ring fall into the water in the middle of the small lake. Jim could see it glint slightly before falling into the darkness among the wreckage of Vivian's small hover boat. He moved to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her abdomen, hugging her lightly. Vivian wrapped her arms lightly around Jim's as a few tears fell from her eyes. She was free.

Jim kissed the top of her head lightly; he silently thanked whatever greater powers there were in the Etherium for letting Vivian- literally – crash into his life.

**XD XD XD**

The next day was rainy and Jim and Vivian spent the day working around inside the Inn. They helped Sarah with the cooking and serving guests; they changed out linens in the guest rooms and did laundry together.

Jim and Vivian were hardly apart the whole day, and they found thousands of things to talk about, even after having spent the whole day before talking. Lists of favorite things, dream adventures and journeys, happy memories from throughout their lives, and not so happy memories. They passed the day really getting to know each other, cheering each other up and most importantly enjoying each other's company.

The second day drew to a close; Jim had gone off to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face before bed. He noticed the rough stubble on his chin and creeping up his cheeks. He rubbed a hand along the lower portion of his face, trying to make a mental note to fix that before Vivian's father arrived the next day.

Jim walked down the hall back toward his room; his black sleep pants slung low on his narrow hips. He pushed the door open slightly to see Vivian lying on her back on the bed. Morph was swooping in at Vivian, licking her face and tickling her slightly. Vivian swatted at Morph playfully, laughed as the small blob chattered happily, finally receiving the attention he craved.

Vivian caught sight of Jim as she laughed. "Jim, quick, save me!"

Jim laughed slightly as he leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms lightly over his bare chest. He watched Vivian as she continued to be 'attacked' by the pink blob. Her hair was loose, fanning out around her head on the bed. She wore a light blue night gown that fell just below her knees, her pale legs hanging off the bed. "I didn't hear a 'please' in there Mrs. Vivian."

Vivian laughed, pointing a finger at Jim. "Go get him Morph! Not me, him!"

Morph chattered before flying over to Jim, 'attacking' him; Morph licked Jim's face, swooping around in a grand fashion as he did so. "Hey Morph, cut it out! Vivian, quick, save me!"

Vivian laughed as she climbed under the comforter of the small bed she and Jim shared. "I didn't hear a 'please' Mr. Hawkins"

Jim gave her a playful scowl as she pulled the comforter up to her neck and pretended to go to sleep. Jim managed to shoo away Morph, who flew out into the hall way. After closing the door and snapping out the light, the room was lit only by a small light on the bedside table. Jim walked over to the bed, his hands on his hips, looking at his wife. Vivian was playing opossum rather convincingly, with only a vague smile on her lips.

Jim wanted to ask her about her father; should he be worried about meeting him? And what about Lord Randall? Jim wanted to know if he would be able to handle things on his own, or if he would need back up. But seeing Vivian with that small smile on her face as she pretended to sleep, Jim decided against it. He didn't want to bring up a subject that was sure to upset her. He shook his head slightly as he reached out and turned off the bedside light. He walked about the foot of the bed, getting in on the other side.

Vivian snuggled close to Jim as he settled under the comforter, pressing her back against his chest. It was only their second night of sharing a room, but the couple had already found ways to arrange themselves comfortably. Jim made one last mental note to try and find a way for them to get a slightly larger bed. A little rolling room would be nice.

He threw his arm across Vivian's waist before allowing himself to drift off to sleep, trying his best to not worry about the next day.

**I really hope you all liked this one. I really wanted to put a moment in where Vivian could really be freed **_**before**_** her father came around. She no longer fears him and she knows that she doesn't belong to him anymore; she been liberated, and I really wanted to get that point across. **

**Don't worry, Lords Randall and Alders will appear in the next chapter, and yes, they will be despicable pigs who have no respect for women (though we already knew that about them didn't we?)**

**So yeah, R&R and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible…hopefully sometime during the day instead of in the middle of the night when I'm drunk from lack of sleep.**

**Oh, and final note, the major working song for this chapter was "The Only Exception" by Paramore. I know it doesn't really fit if you listen to the lyrics, but the music of it has a wonderful 'uncertainly falling in love' quality to me. I'm going all freaky music major now…need sleep.**

**R&R! I'll update soon!**

**Until next time! ~BBTM**


	13. My Voice Will Be Heard Today

_I'm surprised I even survived the next day. The second Lord Alders and Lord Randall set eyes on me, I thought I was a dead man._

The sun rose slowly over the Benbow Inn. Jim woke rather early and crawled out of bed, doing his best to not wake Vivian as he did. He found fresh clothes for the day and then went down the hall to the bathroom. After a quick shower and shave, Jim dressed in black pants and a white short sleeved work shirt. He walked back to his room, toweling his hair dry as his feet slapped the wood floor loudly.

Jim pushed the door open and peeked into the room; Vivian was awake and sitting on the edge of the bed, her gaze on the patch of floor between her feet. Her hands were pressed into the mattress on either side of her hips; her eyes were closed in deep concentration as she drew in deep breaths. "Viv?" Vivian jumped at the sound of Jim's voice. Her eyes shot open and landed on him as he stood in the door way, a towel thrown over his head.

Vivian opened her mouth to speak, but a strange sound escaped her; a strange mix between a sharp gasp and a sob. She covered her mouth with her hand as she looked at Jim. She was visibly shaking and was deathly pale. Jim strode across the room and knelt in front of her. "Viv, are you okay?"

Jim gently pressed a hand to her forehead; Vivian looked as if she were either about to faint or vomit. She shook her head and spoke through her hand. "I'm…" She brought her gaze up to Jim's; tears began quickly leaking out of her eyes. "Oh, god Jim, what have I done?"

Jim gave her a confused look as he took hold of her hand and pulled it away from her mouth. "What are you talking about Vivian?"

Vivian shook her head, covering her mouth with her other hand. "My father will be here today; I'm the reason a monster is going to come here. God, I'm so sorry!" She gave a sob that dissolved into a retch. Thankfully she didn't actually get sick.

Jim gently took hold of her face with his hands. "Vivian, look at me." Once Vivian brought her gaze to his again, Jim continued. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"It's not me I'm worried about!" Vivian practically shouted. Jim attempted to shush her, not wanting to wake his mother or any of the guests staying at the inn. "You have no idea what my father is capable of. I've seen him burn a whole planet just to force people off of the lands he wanted to purchase. I can't bear to think of what he might do to you and your mother."

"Vivian, listen to me," Jim said, his voice firmer. "Nothing – I repeat, _nothing_ – is going to happen to me or my mom. Our main concern is making sure _you're_ safe from him. Since we're married, your father can't take you away, he can't lay a hand on you. And you know what? It's finally time someone stood against him." Jim took a deep breath as he let his hands slip down to Vivian's shoulders. "I'm just a man; I don't have any secret powers that I can use to send him away. But I promise you I will do everything I possibly can to make it to where you're not afraid of him anymore."

Vivian took a shaky breath. "I don't want to be afraid," she said, reaching her hands out and taking hold of Jim's shirt with two tight fists. "But…Jim I dreamt that he killed you! Just the thought of you being harmed by my father…it turns my stomach to rot."

Jim was slightly taken aback; sure, he was afraid of what Lord Alders might do to him, but would this man actually kill him? He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts before shaking Vivian gently. "If protecting you is going to kill me, then I'm ready to die."

"Don't say that!" Vivian sobbed, tightening her grip on his shirt.

Jim sighed a little, hating his choice of words. "Vivian, nothing's going to happen to me, I promise."

"How do you know?" Vivian slipped off the bed and onto her knees in front of Jim, burying her face in his chest. "How do you know?"

Jim wrapped his arms around her. He hated seeing someone so strong willed reduced to tears from fear. "Vivian, I need you to listen to me. Really listen, alright? Nothing bad will happen today; this is the day that your voice is finally going to be heard by your father. You're going to take a stand and speak your mind. Do you understand me?"

Vivian was still shaking as Jim held her tightly to his chest. He heard her take a shuddering breath before speaking. "My voice…will be heard today."

Jim nodded, pulling Vivian away from him slightly to look into her face. Through the fear and near sickness, Jim could see a new emotion forming in her eyes: determination. "That's right. Say it again."

She took a breath, this time more solid. Vivian's gaze locked into Jim's. "My voice will be heard today."

Jim gave her a brave smile before hugging her tightly.

**XD XD XD**

It was almost three o'clock when the front door opened; Jim was walking hand in hand with Vivian down the stairs. Two men walked inside and scanned the main room of the inn quickly. There weren't any guests there, so the two men quickly looked up the stair case. "Vivian!" the taller man said in a dark voice.

Jim took a step in front of Vivian as the two men removed their hats and traveling cloaks. Jim recognized the taller man from the photograph Silver had shown him that night. Lord Alders was dressed in proper military retirement uniform, his dark brown hair tied out of his face with a matching blue ribbon. The resemblance between him and his daughter was only slight; they had the same green eyes and the same high cheek bones, but that was all.

The second man was rather ugly with dark skin that resembled wrinkled leather, a bald head, dull grey eyes and a disgusting grin on his face. His grin widened when he set eyes on Vivian; Jim reached behind him and took hold of Vivian's hand, squeezing it gently. "Can I help you two gentlemen?" Jim asked, attempting to sound like the kind host.

Lord Alders pointed a finger at Jim. "Are you this Jim Hawkins that Silver told me about?"

Jim nodded, squeezing Vivian's hand one last time before releasing it and then walking down the stairs toward the two men. Jim could only assume that the uglier man was Lord Randall. "Yes sir, I am," Jim said politely as he came off the stairs. "How can I help you?"

Lord Alders strode up to Jim, shaking his index finger at him. "You, _Jim Hawkins_, will return my daughter to me at once, or so help me, I will-"

"Father!"

Vivian came down the stairs quickly, her dark green skirt swishing around her legs roughly. She came to a halt beside Jim and took his left hand into her right hand. "You cannot speak to my husband that way!"

Lord Alders turned his hateful gaze onto his daughter. "Now you listen to me, you selfish little brat! You are going to leave here with me and you _will_ be married to Thomas."

Vivian, forgetting her sickening fear form earlier in the day, held her index finger out and waved it in his face. "No, _you_ listen to _me._ You can't have me anymore Father. I'm done being afraid of you and what you'll do when – not if, when- I disappoint you. If I'm such a disappointment, then do us both a favor and _let me go._"

Lord Alders' face first turned red then faded into a slight shade of purple. "You ungrateful little-"

"Kimball, please," Lord Randall put a hand on Alders' shoulder. A sick grin spread further across his ugly face as he looked Vivian up and down. Jim had to fight the urge to step in front of her. "Why don't you speak with the boy while I have a little chat with Vivian?"

Before anyone could respond, Randall took hold of Vivian's wrist and pulled her out the front door. As he pulled the door open, Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler appeared on the other side. The Captain looked to Vivian, seeing the young woman's slightly distraught face; Vivian pleaded for Amelia's help with her eyes. Thankfully, Amelia saw it and turned to her husband. "I'll keep an eye on them," she said quietly before disappearing again, following Randall and Vivian outside.

Delbert watched his wife go before walking into the Inn and coming to stand beside Jim. "Jim, is there a problem?" He asked, knowing full and well that Vivian's father was there to take her away. Delbert looked Lord Alders up and down from over his snout.

"The problem," Alders started, resuming his finger pointing and wagging. "Is that this _bastard_ has taken something that doesn't belong to him. I demand that you annul your marriage to my daughter and return her to me at once!"

Before Jim could retort, Delbert gave a low laugh before pulling his glasses off of his face. "So _you're_ Vivian's father."

"Yes, I am," Alders said, puffing his chest out slightly. "Lord Kimball Alders, and I will have you know sir that I could very easily buy this whole planet and force you all out! If my daughter is not returned to me-"

"You think you have the right to call yourself a father?" Delbert was wiping his glasses with a small scrap of cloth. "I mean, it is true, you did contribute genetic material. Vivian does owe you that. But you have no idea what it is like to _be_ a father. Truly." He finished cleaning his glasses and put them back on his face. "The only thing you _truly_ know how to do is be brutish son of a bitch."

Meanwhile, out in front of the inn, Randall still had a tight hold of Vivian's wrist. "You _will_ marry me!" He growled at her, tightening his grip on her arm.

"I won't," Vivian said firmly, her glare never wavering from Randall's face. "I am married to Jim; deal with it!"

Randall tightened his grip more; Vivian clenched her teeth, certain that her wrist might snap, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was in pain. Amelia stood off to the side, not sure if or when she should jump in and assist Vivian. Randall lowered his voice. "I could break you," he said, his dull grey eyes darkening. "Just like I broke the others. The five wives I had before your father offered you to me. None of them were as strong willed as you; I only broke them when I got bored with them. But you…" He gave a dark laugh. "You will be a most enjoyable challenge. I can't wait to have you."

Vivian spat in his face; Randall hadn't expected it and jumped back slightly, his grip on her loosening. She pulled free and took several steps back. "I will die before you_ have_ me, you evil son of a pig!" Vivian spat again, this time at Randall's feet.

Thomas Randall wiped Vivian's spit from his face. "You little _bitch_." He launched at her, knocking her to the ground. Vivian was surprised, the air knocked out of her when she hit the ground. Randall's hands found their way around her neck; his grey eyes were suddenly alive with fury. "I _will_ break you!"

Captain Amelia, suddenly wishing she had a gun on her, ran to Vivian's aid. Randall was sitting on Vivian, straddling her stomach, his hands tightening around the girl's throat. Vivian saw Amelia running to help and managed to choke out, "No! This is…my fight!"

Vivian clawed at Randall's bald head, scratching his eyes and nose, pulling on his ears as hard as she could. _I'll be damned if I'm going to let this bastard harm me!_ Vivian began trying to wriggle her legs out from under Randall's body. "Amelia!" She choked out. "Get…Jim!"

Captain Amelia gave Vivian an uncertain look before dashing around them and back into the inn. When she pushed the door open, she saw that Lord Alders looked ready to hit Delbert in the face. "Hawkins!" Jim's slightly satisfied smirk turned to the captain. When he saw her worried and uncertain look, Jim shoved past Lord Alders and out the front door.

What Jim saw next frightened him to within an inch of his life. Vivian's seemingly lifeless body pinned under Lord Randall; Randall's back was to Jim, and he couldn't see Vivian's face. "Vivian!"

Vivian was still fighting against Randall; she had her left hand prying at his fingers around her neck. She reached her right hand down to her stomach, finding Randall's weakest place. Vivian grabbed on, twisted and pulled. The full grown man yelped loudly, his grip leaving Vivian's neck to try and cover himself. He rose up off of her stomach slightly in his attempt to get away from her. Vivian pulled her legs out from under Randall and swung her right foot at his face. It connected hard, sending the man to the ground with a pitiful groan.

"Vivian!" Jim ran to Vivian's side, pulling her away from Randall as the man rolled on the ground in pain. She was panting slightly, and Jim could see that her neck was red from where Randall had been holding her. "Are you alright?"

Vivian nodded before pointing to Randall. "I'm fine, but if someone doesn't get that bastard away from me, I'm libel to kill him!" Amelia walked over to Randall and restrained him, twisting his arms behind his back and binding them with some rope. "Amelia, I'm sure the police will be very interested in his stories of breaking women."

Amelia nodded; Delbert and Lord Alders finally came out of the inn. Delbert wore a satisfied grin while Alders wore a look of shock at the sight of Randall tied up and writhing on the ground. Jim's gaze fell on to Vivian's father, and he was on his feet before he could stop himself. "You!" Jim stalked over to Alders, a fist raised and poised to bash the man's face in. Alders shrank away from him, trying to cover his face as best he could.

"Jim, what in the name of the stars above is going on out here?" Sarah Hawkins had appeared in the door way of the inn. Jim stopped his attack on Alders, but just barely. Sarah looked around, quickly coming to the conclusion that the man Jim was about to attack was the one responsible for the uproar in her front yard. "You! I don't know who you are, but I demand that you leave my property this instant!"

Alders straightened; he wasn't one to be bossed around by a woman. "I will only leave after this young leach annuls his marriage to my daughter! She belongs to me!"

"The hell she does!" Sarah shouted, frightening Jim slightly. He had never seen his mother this furious. "Vivian is as much your daughter as I am! You know nothing about her and don't deserve to have such an amazing daughter! Vivian belongs to herself and no one else!"

Captain Amelia came up behind Alders and spoke to him in a threatening purr. "You should do your best to remember that."

Alders jumped away from the two women who were ganging up on him and clearly enjoying it. "Now," Sarah said. "Get off of my property."

"Wait!" Vivian had walked over to them; she stood before her father. "Before you leave, you will clear all the warrants out for John Silver."

Amelia and Delbert were slightly shocked at Vivian's demand, but didn't say anything. "I will do no such thing!" Alders said. "The agreement was that the warrants would disappear if he delivered you to me. Silver didn't do what he was hired to do."

Jim grabbed Alders by the shirt collar. "You _will_ clear his name!" Jim shook the man roughly as he spoke. "You will clear Silver's name and you will leave Vivian alone. After today, you will never attempt to see her or harm her again!"

Alders shook in fear as Jim threatened him. "Alright, I'll do it!"

Jim smirked as he released Alders with a shove. "Good, now get out of here."

Alders began walking quickly down the dirt road, but turned and faced Vivian. "You've lost everything you know; your financial security, your chance at a life."

"A life that isn't mine isn't worth having," Vivian said, moving to stand beside Jim. She took her husband's hand firmly in her own. "Jim is all I'm ever going to need. You can take everything you could possibly give me and shove it."

Alders huffed slightly before he turned and walked away, disappearing into the market and out of Jim's and Vivian's life.

**Woo, I wasn't sure if I was going to get this one done! I'm really proud of it. Vivian finally letting go and hurting Randall is rather satisfying!**

**I had originally planned simply a verbal assault heavily featuring Amelia and Sarah (as suggested by Welsh Gem), but it kind of evolved into a physical fight and **_**then**_** a verbal assault.**

**Also, thanks so much to everyone for reading and reviewing! You make me so completely happy!**

**I'm thinking this will wrap up in a few more chapters, sad to say. This story is very dear to my heart, but you know what they say…wait, what is that stupid saying? Never mind.**

**Finally, the major working song for this chapter was 'Hero' by Skillet. I've just discovered this band, and I **_**love**_**them! If you go and listen to the lyrics of the song, you'll see that some of the dialogue closely resembles it. Also, the title is a major line in that song. The song has some amazing music, very 'ready to fight' and 'anxiety before the big battle' causing. I love it!**

**So, yeah, read and review! **

**Until next time! ~BBTM**


	14. Like Last Time Just With More Planning

_Lord Randall was arrested; one count of assault against Vivian, and then later, five counts of murder. His first five wives had all died; Randall had said they were accidents, but after what he had done to Vivian, the Interstellar Police Force began reinvestigating. They found that he had, indeed, broken them. He was locked away, and he will never get out._

_Vivian and I lived together for almost a year when I got an idea._

Jim was working on the roof of the Benbow inn; several shingles had been lost during a particularly nasty storm the previous night, and Sarah had asked him to go up and fix them. It was a hot and sunny day now, the sky clear and blue. Jim had abandoned his brown work shirt, tossing it to the side after tearing it off. He worked wearing only black work pants.

It was summer once again, almost a year since Vivian's arrival at the Benbow. Jim's thoughts traveled to her as he worked. Since the encounter with Vivian's father and intended husband, life had gotten rather quiet for the couple. They spent their days working around the inn, Vivian mostly in the kitchen, Jim mostly where ever he was needed.

Silver had arrived back at the inn about a month after the encounter with Lord Alders; he no longer hid his robotic appendages beneath a traveling cloak, and he had abandoned his large travel cap. "Jimbo!" The cyborg had called happily upon entering the front door of the inn, thankfully managing to get inside before the sky opened up and drowned him.

Jim had been cleaning tables since he was unable to work outside because of the impending bad weather. Vivian had opened the front door to let Silver in and now was looking at her husband with a smile. "Look who it is Jim," she said, closing the door, shutting out the storm that would begin shortly.

Alders had kept his word – all the warrants for Silver's arrest had been destroyed and he was a free man. "Ye know I's t'ain't t'e type fer stayin in one place fer too long," Silver said to Jim. "But, I was hopen' you'd be willin' to let me stay 'ere fer a time. 'Elp me te make a honest livin'."

And so Silver was hired on as a cook at the inn. Sarah was more than happy to have him, but B.E.N. required some convincing. "Jimmy, how do you know you can even trust him? Don't you remember the whole 'blast yeh all te kingdom come?' thing?"

Jim shushed the robot, taking a tight hold of his head so that he couldn't talk anymore, as they stood in the kitchen; Sarah had stepped out to show Silver to a room he could stay in. Vivian placed a reassuring hand on B.E.N.'s shoulder. "B.E.N., don't worry. We can trust Silver; I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, c'mon B.E.N.," Jim said softly before releasing the robot's head. "I'm not asking you to trust Silver; you're entitled to your own opinion. But just _please_ don't say anything about that to my mom."

"You haven't told her?" Jim jumped on B.E.N. again as the robot spazzed, his eyes protruding from his head slightly as he shouted.

Vivian put her free hand on the back of B.E.N.'s head. "B.E.N., calm down!"

B.E.N. mumbled a response that sounded vaguely like 'You guys are insane,' through Jim's vice like grip. "B.E.N., I swear, I'll never ask you to do anything again, just please – _please - _don't tell my mom!" Jim said.

The robot eventually agreed, but shook his needle like finger at them before leaving the kitchen. "But if he flips on ya', don't come cryin' to me!"

"Jim?"

Jim was pulled from his musings; He looked to the window just to his right. Vivian was poking her head out, watching him as he crouched on the roof, hammer raised as he attempted to fix the roof. He lowered it as he looked at her. Her hair was a bit longer, but always pulled into a braid. Today it hung down her back.

Vivian was wearing a short sleeved green dress, all one solid piece that hung to just below her knees. Since she worked indoors most of the time, she tended to wear either socks (which Sarah didn't really approve of) or simple dress slippers (which Sarah thought were the cutest things ever.) "What are you staring at, silly?" Vivian asked, giving Jim a large smile.

Jim cleared his throat. "I was just…um," he stammered, setting the hammer on the roof and then reaching and rubbing the back of his neck. "You look…erm-"

Vivian's laugh cut him off. "Silver thought you might be hungry," she said, turning around and sitting on the window's ledge. "He made some bonzabeast stew-"

Jim groaned. "It is way too hot for stew," he said as Vivian wiggled her way out onto the roof.

"I know that," she said, trying to avoid looking down as she crawled out of the window. She held a medium sized wood bowl in her hand. "That's why I brought you these." Vivian finally managed to crawl over to Jim without falling off the roof and without spilling the contents of the bowl. Jim looked over the rim; inside were five large and ripe purps.

Jim smiled at Vivian as he turned around to sit on the roof. "You're great, you know that right?"

Vivian smiled in return as she settled down beside him barely giving the bowl of purps room between them. "I've been told that every so often," she said with a laugh. She reached into the purp bowl and took one, taking a quick bite of it.

Jim followed suit, realizing that he was rather hungry. He took hold of the largest purp in the bowl, knowing full and well that Vivian wouldn't want it (she preferred smaller foods for some reason.) Jim took a bite and released a satisfied sigh. "You chilled them too?"

Vivian laughed a little again. "Uh-huh," she said softly, taking another bite of her purp.

Jim sat up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I love you," he said.

Vivian laughed, this time more loudly. "I love you too, despite the fact that you just got purp juice all over my face!"

Vivian wiped at her cheek with the back of her right hand, but that didn't help it any. She popped the last bite of her purp in her mouth before turning to face Jim again. He was giving her a pleased yet dreamy look. She laughed a little as she spoke. "What? Did I spread it around?"

"Marry me."

Vivian froze, her hand poised to wipe at her cheek again. She gave Jim a slightly confused look. "Jim, I…we're already married."

Jim nodded a little, reaching out and taking her left hand in his. He reached a hand into the pocket of his black pants, a smile coming across his face. "I know that, but…Marry me again," he said, pulling a small ring from his pocket.

Vivian gave a small squeak; pinched between his thumb and forefinger, Jim held a beautiful ring. It was a simple gold band with a pink stone carved in the shape of a heart in the center. "It's rose opal," Jim said, slipping the ring on to Vivian's left ring finger. "I know how much you like them because I heard you talking with mom and the captain."

Vivian held her hand splayed out once Jim had slipped the ring on her finger; she looked at the smooth stone, the shiny gold, and then finally back to Jim. "Oh, Jim, I," she started, not sure what exactly she could say.

Jim, nervous by Vivian's silence, gently took Vivian's hand back into his own. "It'll be just like last time just…with more planning." When Vivian gave Jim a confused look, he began rambling as fast as he could. "I love you Vivian, and I really want to give you everything you could ever dream of. That includes a wedding; not a quickie ceremony like we had, but a big fancy wedding, with your own dress, and guests and food and-"

Vivian firmly pressed her lips to Jim's, first of all in an attempt to get him to stop rambling. As cute as she thought it was, it was kind of hard to process things when he rambled. Secondly, she just wanted to kiss him. It still, almost a full year later, completely blew her mind that there was someone like Jim in her life. Someone who cared so much about her and wanted her to be happy. She hadn't had much of that in her life before him. It still caught her by surprise.

Jim released Vivian's hand and wrapped his arms around her. Vivian was turned toward him slightly as they sat on the roof. Jim rolled onto his knees effortlessly and turned Vivian more toward him, his arms moving to be around her waist. Vivian's arms wound their way around Jim's neck and she leaned back slightly as she deepened the kiss.

These kisses were nothing new to the couple; on the contrary. They were a 'daily indulgence' that occurred at random times throughout the day. Jim would often come into the kitchen as Vivian cleaned up after dinner and he would kiss her. He would pick her up and set her on the counter and kiss her, holding her tightly and wanting to pull her closer.

They were lying down now, Jim on top of Vivian. He licked at her bottom lip, grinning slightly when he tasted purp juice. Before Vivian could comply with his request to deepen the kiss further, Jim pulled back slightly. "So," he asked, his bangs hanging down and tickling Vivian's forehead slightly. "What do you say?"

Vivian gave him a quick kiss before speaking. "Yes," she said softly, looking up into Jim's endless blue eyes. "A thousand times yes."

**Muahahaha! I've managed to write another one, this time fighting the effects of Nite-Quil! Anything for my readers!**

**Emily, are you rocking out to 'Don't Stop Believing?' yet? Well, ya' should be! **

**Thanks so much for reviewing you guys! You have no idea how happy your words make me! Seriously, I like run through the house screaming "I got another review!" I annoy the piss out of my sister with it.**

**So yeah, the next chapter will be Jim's and Vivian's big fancy wedding, which I'm really excited about. I went to the music library and did research on wedding music; seriously, I ripped like 6 CDs to my computer that are nothing but music for weddings. Whoever I date in the future might freak out if they look in my music. Teehee!**

**So yeah, you know the procedure: Read and review, and I will try my best to update quickly. I'm finished with my class, so now I can focus on writing for about two and a half weeks before my next class starts up. Fun.**

**Oh, and before I forget! I'm starting a story that is under the X-overs category. It's called 'Interviews!' and it's an opportunity for my readers to ask any characters from any of my stories questions. (That's why it's an X-over; I write stories for many different categories ^_^). So if you want to ask Vivian (or anyone really. Go check out my other stories! You might like my other characters!) a question, go to the story and send in a review with what you want to know and who the question is for. As I get reviews, I'll post chapters with responses. Oh, and you can even ask me questions of you like!**

**And feel free to ask characters like Jim or Delbert questions. Writing their responses will help me practice writing their characters! Yay!**

**So yeah, R&R, go check out 'Interviews!' and review!**

**Until next Time ~BBTM**


	15. Preperations and Then A WeddingAgain

_We took two weeks to prepare everything. The actual wedding date fell on the anniversary of Vivian's crash landing into my life. I couldn't have thought of a better day for us to get married…again._

It was hard to say who was more excited about the wedding: Vivian or Sarah. When the couple had told Mrs. Hawkins of their intentions, she squealed rather uncharacteristically, jumping up and down slightly and wrapping one arm around each of them. "Stars above Jim! I'm so proud of you!" Sarah kissed Jim's cheek.

"Mom," Jim groaned as his mother released him to embrace Vivian more fully. "It's not like we haven't done this before."

Sarah fixed her son with a stern glare. "James Pleiades Hawkins, I don't expect you to understand how important a proper wedding is in a young woman's life-"

"But I do!"

"I wasn't finished!" Sarah sighed but then smiled at her son before she continued. "I'm proud of you because you're getting married again."

Jim gave his mother a confused look. "Okay..?"

Sarah sighed again. "I'm proud of you because you're putting someone else's happiness first," Sarah said, moving to stand in front of her son. She brushed his bangs out of his face. "That's something your father never really understood. Only really good men do. You've grown to be a wonderful man Jim, and I'm very proud to call you my son."

Jim's throat tightened with emotion; he hadn't expected his mother to say anything about his father. It made him feel good to know that she was proud of him; after his rebellious teenage years, he was grateful for any chance to make her proud. Sarah cleared her throat slightly before turning to Vivian. "I'm also very proud of you Vivian," she said, going and giving the young woman a hug.

"Why?" Vivian asked, returning Sarah's hug.

When Sarah released Vivian and looked at her, she had a completely serious look on her face. "You've lived under the same roof as my son for almost a year and you haven't let him drive you crazy. That's something to be proud of."

The ladies laughed while Jim rolled his eyes. Sarah moved back over to the counter top where she was preparing some vegetables for Silver to cook for dinner. She had sent Silver to the market to pick up some other things they needed; Vivian was really excited about getting to tell him about their plans. "So," Sarah started. "Have you two settled on a date?"

Vivian gave Jim an uncertain look, knowing that Sarah probably wouldn't like the answer. "Well, uh…we were thinking about the twenty first..?

Sarah turned back around to face Vivian again. Her mouth was hanging open slightly, her face a mask of disbelief. "Are you…you can't be serious. That's in two weeks!" When Jim and Vivian nodded Sarah threw her hands into the air. "You expect me to plan a wedding in two weeks?"

Vivian held a hand out to calm Sarah. "No, Sarah, I would be helping you."

Sarah began stammering in her attempt to explain how it would be _impossible_ to plan a descent wedding in only two weeks. Just as she was sputtering words like, 'ridiculous', 'insane', and 'impossible,' Silver came walking into the kitchen carrying his many parcels from the market. "Well 'ello t'ere Miss Vivian! 'ow are ye t'is fine af'ernoon?"

Vivian stepped forward to help Silver with his parcels. "Hello Silver," she said, taking a few things from Silver's arms and setting them on the table. "Jim and I were just talking with Sarah about something important."

" 's t'at so?" Silver asked, setting the remainder of his parcels on the counter beside the sink before sinking down into a chair at the table. " W'at 're ye two pesterin' poor Sarah about t'is time?"

Sarah pointed accusingly at her son. "My son wants to get married to Vivian in two weeks!"

Silver's face lit up with a bright smile as his gaze moved from Sarah to Jim. "Well congratula'ions Jimbo!"

"Don't encourage him!" Sarah said in frustration. "There's no way we can pull this off in two weeks! I mean, we have to invite guests, we have to make sure we can prepare the food, not to mention the cake, we've got to get Vivian a dress, we need rings, a flower girl, a ring bearer-"

"Mom, breathe!" Jim walked over to his mother, putting one arm around behind her back. Sarah's face was red and he was slightly worried that she might faint. "Calm down."

Sarah sighed as she leaned back against the counter. She started to speak, but Silver cut her off. "Now, don' yeh be worrin' 'bout all t'at Miss Sarah. I's perfec'ly capable a cookin' fer a boat load uh guests. I's not sure if I's gonna be able te bake a cake; I ain't ever tried." Silver laughed slightly as Vivian sat down across the table from him.

"I can bake," she said, holding up her index finger in order to get everyone's attention.

"Vivian, you're not going to bake you own wedding cake," Sarah sighed rubbing her forehead.

Vivian pouted slightly. "C'mon, Sarah. It's what I want to do; I don't just want to sit around and let everyone else handle my wedding."

"Well," Sarah started, her voice strong and determined. "What are you going to do about rings? If you're going to do things right, you need rings."

"Mom," Jim said lightly. "Don't worry, Viv and I have it all figured out."

A few moments later, as Vivian and Jim left the kitchen, Vivian glanced up at Jim from the corner of her eye. "You don't have anything figured out, do you?"

"Do you?" Jim asked with a slight laugh.

Vivian laughed. "Good point."

**XD XD XD**

Two weeks passed; two hectic, chaotic weeks. By the time the actual wedding date arrived, Sarah looked ready to either kill herself or her son. Thankfully, Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler had offered their much needed helping hands.

It was decided that the Doppler children would all be a part of the ceremony, which would take place inside the Benbow Inn. Bertha, Clara and Phoebe would all serve as flower girls, while Albert acted as the ring bearer. Amelia, Sarah and Vivian all were forced to drag the three young girls into the local dress shop to find their dresses. Vivian decided on three cute dresses of white cloth with bunched skirts, emerald green sashes and headbands with green and white flowers on them.

The captain was to be the matron of honor upon Vivian's request. "You can wear your uniform, of course," Vivian had said after asking.

"Oh tish-tosh," Amelia said, looking through a dress catalogue as she sat on a small sofa in the lobby of the store. "I trust that you can dress me with my taste."

Vivian was rather proud of the dress she had picked for the captain. It was a simple green, with lace over the fabric at the bottom and slight sleeves and a modest yet flattering neckline.

Sarah's 'mother of the groom' outfit was also picked out by Vivian. It was a long green skirt and a matching shirt that wrapped around Sarah's torso and tied shut. It had three-quarter sleeves and a _very_ flattering neck line that dipped quite a bit. "I don't know," Sarah had said as she tried on the outfit. "It seems a little…showy."

Vivian laughed a little. "It's prefect on you Sarah," she said, coming up behind her mother-in-law and looking into the mirror with her. "You look wonderful."

Sarah had tried her best to get Vivian to pick a new dress for herself, but Vivian refused. "If it's alright, I would like to wear your dress again. It's, well… exactly what I dreamed of when I planned my wedding as a little girl." Sarah couldn't refuse.

The wardrobe of the men was much simpler. Dr. Doppler found his best suit which consisted of dark green pants with a matching coat, a light brown shirt and dress shoes. For little Albert, Jim and Delbert scrounged up a simple suit with the help of various neighbors with male children of the same age and physical make up. Albert's outfit was incredibly similar to his father's, just smaller and with a white shirt.

Jim wore his most formal best dress uniform – the uniform he had worn to the grand reopening of the Benbow Inn. The cream colored uniform wasn't his favorite, but after talking with Vivian, it was decided that her accent color would be green. ("To bring out your eyes," Jim had said.) He couldn't very well wear a blue uniform to a wedding where everyone else's main color was green.

Silver planned out a nice sized feast, considering the only guests they were going to have were the Dopplers and a few randomly assorted neighbors. On the day of the wedding, Silver roasted meats and vegetables, prepared bonzabeast stew (despite the heat), steamed vegetables and purps (since Vivian didn't eat meat), and chilled purp juice. There were a variety of spirits, but Jim asked Silver to lock those away – he didn't want anyone to have the chance to give a drunken toast.

Vivian baked the wedding cake; it was a simple, two tier design made of yellow cake and white cream frosting. Seeing as Jim couldn't see her the day of the actual ceremony (Sarah wasn't exaggerating when she said they were doing everything right this time around), he missed the spectacle of Vivian, covered in flour and frosting. Silver had told him about it though when Silver had peaked in at him before the ceremony was set to begin.

Jim was already showered and dressed an hour and a half before the ceremony. He hadn't dawned his jacket yet, so he paced around his room in his brown boots, cream colored pants and white shirt. "Jimbo!" Silver called as he sat in the only chair in the room. "Ye need te sit down; yer makin' me tired!"

"I can't just sit down!" Jim said in an agitated tone. "I'm losing my mind up here! Do you realize that I haven't been out of the room except for a shower all day?"

Silver sighed, rubbing his hand across his eyes. "I know t'at lad; yer mother don't want ye tryin' te sneak a peek at yer bride, t'at's all."

Jim continued to ramble on as he paced. "And it doesn't help that I can't remember the vows Vivian and I picked to save my life. Here, just watch!" Jim came to a halt in the middle of the room and took a deep breath before trying to recite the vows. "With this…this uh…hand! With this hand I will…cup your…" Jim had unconsciously placed his hands over his chest as he spoke.

Silver began laughing as Jim's face turned dark red. "Ye don' need te be tellin' me yer grand plans fer t'e honeymoon, Jimbo," Silver's belly jumped around as he laughed.

"It's not funny!" Jim said, quickly pulling his hands down to his sides. Jim groaned and walked over to his bed and sat down, his head hanging low in defeat. "I just don't think I can do this."

"Can' do it?" Silver said in disbelief. "Yer already married te t'e lass, t'ain't no big deal, lad."

Jim shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "It's just…more real. I mean, the first time we did this, I was doing it to save her. I mean, yeah, I love her but… I mean, last time I didn't have to say anything other than 'I do.' This is just…" Jim groaned again, flopping backwards onto his bed.

Silver cleared his throat. "Now Jimbo, I want ye to lis'en te me. T'is be my bit a official 'best man' advice, so ye better lis'en good. T'at lass loves ye and ye love 'er. 'ow ye say it don' matter one bit. Them vows is jus' words; Viv is still gonna love ye now matter what comes out a yer mouth, so longs its nothin' foul."

Jim sat back up and gave Silver a small smile. "Thanks. Just, one quick thing…" When Silver motioned for Jim to continue, Jim put his hand over his stomach. "Can I go ahead and vomit now, or should I wait till later?"

Silver laughed at Jim's ridiculousness loudly as the door to the room opened. Delbert stuck his head into the room. "Jim," the doctor said. "You can go downstairs and stand with the pastor. We'll be starting in about ten minutes. Silver, if you'll come with me."

Jim nodded, pulled on his jacket and then headed down stairs after receiving a reassuring pat on the back from Silver.

Meanwhile, up in Sarah's room, Vivian was almost in tears. "I can't do this," she said as she sat at Sarah's dressing table. She was dressed in Sarah's wedding gown, her hair pulled up in a high and slightly curled pony tail with her bangs sweeping across her forehead. She continuously chewed on her lip, negating the need for lipstick.

"Stars above, why not?" Amelia asked as she inspected her girls' dresses, insuring that nothing was ripped or dirty. You never knew what was going to happen with three year olds, after all.

"I don't have anything blue," Vivian said softly, nervously brushing her bangs back.

"What?"

"I don't have anything blue!" Vivian said again. "You know! 'Something old, something new; something borrowed, something blue'? Old and borrowed is the dress, new is this necklace-" Vivian gestured toward the simple emerald necklace that had been a gift from Amelia and Delbert. "But I don't have anything blue! You can't get married without something blue!"

Amelia shook her head as she handed the girls their small baskets of flower petals. "Now remember, you three. You don't throw the petals till _after_ you get down the stairs. And don't aim for your brother's head. Now, Vivian," Amelia turned toward the nearly distraught young woman. "You're being irrational-"

"I'm back!" Sarah burst into the room, looking very lovely in her mother of the groom outfit. In her hand was a small jewelry box. "Vivian, I've got you something blue! You can't get married without it!" Sarah opened the small box and pulled out an earring. It was a simple silver stud with two chains hanging from it; on one chain was a light green stone, and on the other was a light blue one.

Vivian's face relaxed as she smiled at her mother-in-law. "What would I do without you Sarah?" She asked, standing and hugging the woman tightly.

"Not get married because of lacking a certain color," Amelia said under her breath before walking over and inspecting herself in the mirror. She gave her short blonde hair a bit of a flip before turning toward the bride and mother of the groom. "Well, are we ready?"

Vivian nodded after putting in both earrings; they were very lovely, the stones hanging to just above her shoulders. "Yes," she said, giving a nervous yet relieved sigh.

**XD XD XD**

Albert led the procession down the stairs, a small green pillow balanced on the palms of his hands. Jim's and Vivian's silver wedding rings (Jim a simple solid silver band; Vivian's a thin silver band with an oval shaped rose opal set in it) were secured down with a few strings of thread. They would easily come off the pillow when the time came but wouldn't roll off as the young boy walked.

Jim watched as the procession started; they didn't have any music so the room was quiet minus the excited hum that tended to surround people at weddings. There were a total of twenty guests, ten sitting on one side of the aisle, ten on the other. Jim stood beside Pastor Golds, who would give him an encouraging smile every so often.

Behind Albert were his three sisters; once the four children had reached the bottom of the staircase they began walking up the aisle, the girl's throwing the flower petals from the baskets at the back of their brother's head. Albert, however, didn't let that distract him from his duty as the ring bearer. He kept his eyes on Jim until he made it to the end of the aisle, then stood just to Jim's right, in between Jim and the pastor. Once Bertha, Clara and Phoebe had finished dispersing their flower petals, they moved to stand on the 'bride's' side, to the pastor's right.

Next, coming down the stairs a little quicker than Jim had hoped, were Captain Amelia and Silver, arm in arm. Amelia held a small bouquet of yellow, green and white flowers in her hands. They made it down the stairs quickly and took their places, the captain on the bride's side and Silver just to Jim's left. Silver winked at Jim as he passed. Jim gave him a small smile. The captain nodded her head slightly at Jim from where she stood beside her daughters. Jim couldn't get over the fact that Vivian had actually managed to get the feline into a dress.

Everyone seated suddenly stood up; all eyes were on the landing just above the stair case leading to the main floor. Jim had to remind himself to breath.

Vivian, wearing a beautiful white wedding gown with lace sleeves, came down the stairs slowly, Sarah on her left and Dr. Doppler on her right. She held a bouquet of flowers that matched Amelia, but it was larger. Her pony tail hung over her right shoulder a little, a slight curl at the end. She wore a tiny emerald pendant on a fine gold chain around her neck, and had stones of light blue and light green hanging from her ears.

When the trio had successfully made it down the stairs, they began walking down the aisle at a slow pace. Vivian looked over the guests before turning her attention to the altar. Jim gave her a mesmerized smile, which Vivian readily returned. They were in awe of each other.

When they reached the altar, Vivian turned and kissed Sarah's cheek; Sarah's eyes were misty as she looked from her son to her daughter-in-law. Vivian turned and kissed Dr. Doppler's cheek before he sat down. The good doctor had to wipe his eyes as he took his seat on the bride's side, mirroring Sarah's place on the groom's side.

Vivian took a breath before handing her bouquet to Amelia; then she looked to Jim who took her hand gently. They heard the crowd take their seats as they turned to face pastor Golds, who smiled at the couple before addressing the room. "Friends and Family, ladies and gentlemen, welcome. We are gathered here today, to celebrate a most joyous occasion: The union of James and Vivian."

Pastor Golds spoke more kind words of the love that the couple shared and the life the intended to lead together. He finally came to the part where Jim and Vivian said their vows and exchanged rings. Jim took a deep breath, reminding himself to be calm and not to worry. He held his left hand up, holding Vivian's right hand in it. "With this hand, I will lift your sorrows."

Jim glanced to pastor Gold's quickly; Golds motioned for Jim to continue. "Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. On this day, I swear to love and cherish you before all others as long as we both shall live and beyond. With this ring," Jim said, reaching onto the pillow and pulling Vivian's ring from it. As he slipped it onto her left ring finger, he said. "With this ring, I ask you to be mine."

Once Jim had finished saying his vows, Vivian had to clear her throat before speaking herself. Her throat was thick with emotion. "With this hand," she said, taking hold of Jim's left hand. "I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. On this day, I swear…" she paused to clear her throat; her eyes misted over as she continued. "On this day, I swear to love and cherish you before all others as long as we both shall live and beyond. With this ring," Vivian pulled Jim's wedding band from the pillow and slipped it onto his left ring finger. "I ask you to be mine."

The couple smiled at each other; it took everything Jim had within himself to not kiss Vivian right at that moment. Pastor Golds held his hands up to pull the crowd's attention toward him. "It is before us on this day, that this couple will become husband and wife. James…Vivian…" Golds paused slightly, looking both of them in the eyes. "Do you, on this day, before your friends and family, vow to love, honor, cherish and value each other for the rest of your lives? For richer, for poorer, for better, for worse? In sickness and in health? As long as you both shall live?"

Jim glanced at Vivian from the corner of his eyes and found her glancing at him. He smiled, she smiled, and in unison, they responded. "I do."

Pastor Golds smiled at the couple. "Then, by the power vested in me by the Interstellar Church of the Etherium, I now pronounce you husband and wife. James, you may kiss your bride."

Jim pulled Vivian to him, his left arm going around her waist. Vivian's left hand rested on Jim's cheek as they kissed. The small crowd cheered; Jim could hear his mother crying happily. He unwillingly pulled away from Vivian, who had tears running down her cheeks. Jim couldn't help it; he stooped and lightly kissed her tears away before kissing her on the lips once again.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Pastor Golds said over the noise of the crowd. "It is my pleasure to present to you, for the first time in public, Mr. and Mrs. James Hawkins."

**Okay, so it's not actually the first time, but this is the time that really really counts!**

**I really hope you liked this! I worked my butt off on it; I even cried a little. Did anyone else? I hope so! **

**I know this is a long chapter, but I really wanted to go into detail about the wedding ceremony.**

**Oh, and how 'bout that: Amelia in a dress! I have pictures that inspired all the dresses, so if anyone would like to see, just let me know.**

**Oh, the wedding vows are slightly tweaked from the vows used in Tim Burton's 'Corpse Bride'. Jim's little moment with the "I will cup your…" is also from that movie. I was watching it the other day, and thought that was so funny! And Jim's so cute when he's flustered! I hope you all liked that.**

**Also, don't forget about my new story 'Interviews!'. It has no future without my wonderful readers and their burning questions. Review on it or send me a PM!**

**Lastly, thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! They make me incredibly happy! I hope this chapter is everything you all hoped it would be! Please R&R**

**Until Next Time**

**~BBTM**


	16. Living Happily Ever After

Jim smiled happily at his wife and twin children; Vivian was rocking the sleeping three year olds gently. "Well?" She asked softly.

Jim stood from his son's bed and stretched before reaching and taking the young boy into his arms. "Well, what?" He asked in return, keeping his voice low as he placed the boy into bed and tucked him in.

"What happened to Jim and Vivian?" Vivian asked. She stood from the rocking chair holding little Chloe in her arms. She walked over to her daughter's bed and tucked the child away gently.

Jim gave her a bewildered and confused look. "Viv, uh…well, you were there, you know what all happened to us."

Vivian put her hands on her hips, staring her husband down. "Just finish the story Jim."

Jim rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around the room, searching for the correct answer among his children's toys. "Well, erm…" Jim gave a slightly defeated shrug. "They lived happily ever after?"

"Wrong."

"Huh?" Jim shot Vivian an even more confused look than before. Vivian was holding up her index finger at him, her other hand still on her hip. She wore a slight smile on her face. "Viv, I er…I don't understand-"

"Not lived," Vivian said wisely, shaking her finger lightly at her husband. She began walking to the door and out into the hall.

Jim followed her, one eyebrow raised. Vivian closed the door to the twins' room and began leading the way down the hall to their own room. "Viv, wait a second; I still don't get what you mean."

Vivian shook her head lightly as they came to their bedroom; she opened the door to their room and began leading the way in. She turned around quickly, facing her husband and pressing against him lightly. "Not lived…than implies that we're finished…I think it's better to phrase it, "They're liv_ing_ happily ever after. Don't you?" Vivian winked at Jim before walking into their dark bedroom.

Jim though on it for a moment, then nodded his agreement. Living was the better way to put it. Jim followed his wife into their bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.

_Yes, living is _definitely_ a better way to put it._

_**Once upon a time, a young hero found a lost treasure. She was a great beauty with no memory of her past. The hero and the young maiden fell in love. **_

_**As it turned out, the treasure maiden was the daughter of a rich and powerful nobleman. The nobleman wished for his daughter to marry an even more powerful man so he could gain more lands.**_

_**The maiden, however, didn't want to return to the life she had before. She wanted to remain with the hero who had found her. So they got married. And they are living happily ever after.**_

_**The End.**_

**There you have it folks! The end!**

**This has been a wonderful journey and experience for me! I love all of you and your support has been amazing! Please let me know what you thought of this story, and go check out my others!**

**Don't worry; I'll more than likely do more Jim/Vivian stories in the future! If you have any special requests for a story, let me know!**

**Until then, I remain a humble servant to my wonderful readers!**

**~BBTM**


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